Rx for ‘Empowerment’

This is a great story about patients speaking up and why you should!


Rx for ‘Empowerment’

MITSS 9th Annual Dinner and Fundraiser

Exciting news, you can now purchase your tickets for the dinner on line!  We truly hope you can join us!  Just follow the link below.

Do patients want to punish?

Do patients really want to punish when things go wrong?  Good question... 

We wanted to point out a great discussion on this very topic.  One of our favorite bloggers, Paul Levy, has started this interesting discussion on his blog, Running a Hospital.  Click here to read the entire post and comments. 

What do YOU think?  We would love to hear from you.

Linda Kenney

Justin Micalizzi Memorial IHI Scholarship

Our colleague, Dale Ann Micalizzi, asked that we share the following announcement.  It is a wonderful scholarship opportunity as well as a memorial to a young boy who lost his life due to a medical error.

Justin’s HOPE Project and IHI are pleased to announce the Justin Micalizzi Memorial IHI Scholarship for health caregivers who are committed to pediatric patient safety and providing a safe health care environment for their patients and families.  The Scholarship covers the cost of Forum General Conference fees and includes a stipend for travel, lodging, or other conference costs and is intended for those serving vulnerable, underprivileged and underserved pediatric populations.   Download scholarship application information or email info@ihi.org to learn more.  Deadline is Friday, September 24, 2010.


Click here for more details.

Modern Healthcare's Top 25 Minority Executives in Healthcare

On Modern Healthcare.com, they have posted short video clips of each of the Top 25 Minority Executive in Healthcare. These clips are sponsored by the Furst Group. You can check out these videos clips by checking here

National Patient Safety Day -- July 25th, 2010

MITSS would like to join with the organizers, the World Patient Safety Day Committee, and the thousands of organizations and individuals worldwide in commemorating National, World, and Global Patient Safety Day which will be observed on July 25th. Please take a moment this Sunday to reflect and join in a shared vision of safer healthcare and a shared moment to honor the lives of all patients and family members affected by medical errors and harm.

We would also like to congratulate the Veterans Affairs' (VA) National Surgical Quality Improvement Project (NSQIP) team and PULSEAmerica as they have been chosen the recipients of this year's Florence Nightingale and Dr. E. Codman Patient Safety Day Awards.

For more information, go to www.patientsafetyday.com.

"E-Patient Dave" Joins Speaker Lineup for MITSS 9th Annual Dinner

MITSS is pleased to announce that Dave deBronkart, best known as "e-Patient Dave," will be providing the Opening Remarks for our 9th Annual Dinner to be held on Thursday evening, November 4th, at the Westin Copley Place in Boston, MA.

E-Patient Dave is a cancer patient and blogger who, in 2009, became a noted activist for healthcare transformation through participatory medicine and personal health data rights. The Boston Globe has called him "a recognized online champion of 'participatory medicine'." He is the author of "Laugh, Sing, and Eat Like a Pig: How an Empowered Patient Beat Stage IV Cancer (And What Healthcare Can Learn From It)," just released and available on Amazon.com. The unusual title comes from the positive approach he chose to confronting his disease.

Dave joins a wonderful lineup of speakers for the evening which will feature a Keynote by Dr. Anthony Whittemore, Chief Medical Officer and SVP of Clinical Affairs for the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. And, the Third Annual MITSS HOPE Award will be presented at the event, so save the date -- November 4th, 2010 -- and please join us!

Best Hospitals 2010-11: the Honor Roll

How does your organization rate? How do you feel about these Honor Rolls for Heatlhcare Systems? Are they accurate or flawed? We'd love to hear from you. Click the link below to read the article and see the top 20 Hospitals across the country.

Best Hospitals 2010-11: the Honor Roll

"Humanity" in the Court System

Check out this interesting article about a judge in New York - a recipient of one of the Obama administration's healthcare reform grants - looking to inject a bit of humanity into the malpractice system.

What We've Been Up To...

Yikes, it has been some time since our last blog post! We have committed one of the cardinal sins of social media -- we have allowed our blog to become stale!

In a sincere effort to rectify this unfortunate situation, and in an attempt to "freshen" our blog, we offer the following. Here are highlights of just some of the things MITSS has been working on of late. (With all of these exciting things going on, it's no wonder we've neglected our blog -- if only for a short time.)

-- MITSS has assembled a "blue ribbon" panel of experts from around the country to develop a tool kit for clinician support. We will be working feverishly over the summer and into the fall, and we expect to have something ready for release by the end of the year.

-- MITSS is bringing together nurse leaders from some of the minority communities and will be hosting an educational workshop slated for late August. Our goal is to find new and better ways to reach underserved populations with the MITSS message and our services. Stay tuned for details as they unfold.

-- We are now accepting nominations for our Third Annual HOPE Award. Go to www.mitsshopeaward.org for a description of the award, eligibility criteria, and a nomination form. Help us to recognize someone who is doing great work aligned with the MITSS mission (including yourself)!

-- Of course, we continue to provide educational support groups for patients and their families. We have one group just about wrapping up at the North Shore Hospital in Salem.

You can do your part, too. Let us know what you'd like to see discussed in this space and how we can better serve you. And, don't forget to check us out on Facebook -- become a fan of MITSS and of the MITSS HOPE Award. We'd love to hear from you!

PULSE voices from the heart of medicine

For those of you who haven't heard of this publication, let us tell you a little bit about it. PULSE voices from the heart of medicine was started by a physician who is now Editor in Chief of this publication, his name is Paul Gross. He wanted to know what it would be like to have a publication that told stories of the way medicine really was not the way it is in controlled studies. The stories that have been published thus far from have captured hearts and minds, especially Friday's release.

Babel: The Voices of Medical Trauma is written by a friend and a colleague of MITSS, Tricia Pill, who is a pedetrician who experienced the "real side of medicine", but don't think she got what she expected or wanted.

What do you think of the current state of affairs? Can healthcare do a better job? How? Can we help doctors, nurses, pca's, etc who are both young and old to leave their assumptions at the door with every patient? Can we teach folks to trust that patients and their family members have valuable information about themselves or loved ones? Would love to know how you think we can change things.

You can get your free subscripiton to the magazine by signing up for it on their site.

Warm regards,
Linda Kenney

Feel free to contact me directly at lkenney@mitss.org, if you'd like to discuss off line.

"Medicine Means Sometimes Having to Say You Are Sorry"

They are ideals that have been touted for some time in healthcare, but where are we now with regard to disclosure and apology? How do disclosure and apology programs fit into the new healthcare legislation? Whose programs are working, and what are the barriers that prevent others from being successful? Check out Joanne Kenen's article in the April 2, 2010, edition of Miller-McCune.

Check Out This Month's Issue of "Patient Safety and Quality Healthcare"

The March/April 2010 issue of Patient Safety and Quality Healthcare contains a great article synthesizing the findings of MITSS's 2009 Clinician Support Forum. Click here for a copy of Disclosure and Apology: What's Missing? Advancing Programs that Support Clinicians written by Susan Carr.

Lucian Leape Institute at NPSF Releases New White Paper

The Lucian Leape Institute at the National Patient Safety Foundation released a white paper on March 10th, 2009, arguing that US medical schools fail to prepare future physicians with the skills and knowledge necessasry to ensure safe delivery of patient care. The report, "Unmet Needs: Teaching Physicians to Provide Safe Care," describes the shortcomings of the current medical education system and issues an urgent call for reform.

To read the press release and to download a copy of the report, click here.

Lucian L. Leape, MD, is the Chair of the Lucian Leape Institute and is also a Special Advisor to the MITSS Board of Directors.

The Treatment Trap -- A New Book by Rosemary Gibson

This past Tuesday, Health Care for All sponsored a program featuring Rosemary Gibson, author of The Wall of Silence. Rosemary and co-author Janardan Prasad Singh have just released a new book, The Treatment Trap -- How the Overuse of Medical Care is Wrecking Your Health and What You Can Do to Prevent It. The book explores the overuse, misuse, and underuse of medical care -- including needless surgery and other invasive procedures, out-of-control x-ray imaging, profligate testing, and other wasteful practices that have become routine among too many American doctors.

Click here to check out the book on Amazon.

Look for a profile of the author, Rosemary Gibson, in the upcoming edition of the MITSS newsletter.

2010 MITSS HOPE Award -- Call for Nominations

In honor of National Patient Safety Awareness Week (March 7th through the 13th, 2010), MITSS is pleased to announce that we are now accepting nominations for the Third Annual MITSS HOPE Award. The HOPE Award was established in 2008 to recognize people -- patients, families, healthcare providers, hospitals (or teams or departments therein), academic institutions, community health centers, grass roots organizations, EAP programs, etc. -- who exemplify the mission of MITSS: Supporting Healing and Restoring Hope to patients, families, and clinicians impacted by adverse medical events. The winner of the Award will receive a $5,000 cash prize to continue their work.

The 2010 Sponsor of the HOPE Award is rL Solutions.

Nominations are due by September 15th, 2010, and the Award will be presented at the MITSS 9th Annual Dinner and Fundraiser to be held on Thursday, November 4, 2010, at The Westin Copley Place, Boston, MA.

For eligibility criteria and submission requirements, click here. Take this opportunity to nominate someone who is doing great work. Note that self-nominations will be acceptable. Visit www.mitsshopeaward.org for all things MITSS HOPE Award -- download a nomination form, check out past winners, and much, much more!!! Also, feel free to give us a call at 617) 232-0090 or toll free at 1-888-366-4877 if you have any questions.

Patient Safety Awareness Week -- March 7 through the 13th

Commemorate this important week by taking steps to support patients, their families, and clinicians impacted by adverse events. Mark your calendar, and make a "To Do List":

Monday -- Check waiting areas, reception areas, information stations, and libraries to make sure that MITSS brochures are visible and available to patients and their families. If you don't have a supply, download a copy of the MITSS brochure here, or give us a call toll free at 1-888-366-4877 to place an order.

Tuesday -- Circulate the LEND Document to staff. This important tool provides valuable information for staff when addressing the emotional impact to patients and family members in the aftermath of an adverse event. Download here.

Supporting clinicians along with patients is essential to an overall culture of respect, compassion, and patient safety. Download a free copy of the report "Disclosure and Apology...What's Missing? Advancing Programs that Support Clinicians." See what's working in other organizations, where the barriers lie, and what the opportunities are for the future.

Wednesday -- Sit down with your staff and watch The MITSS Story together. Then, have a "Healthy Conversation" about the issues raised in the film. Don't have a copy? Give us a call, or order here.

Thursday -- Schedule a Speaking Engagement with MITSS Founder and Executive Director, Linda Kenney. Click here for more information, or pick up the phone and give us a call.

Friday -- Recognize and highlight important work that is aligned with the MITSS mission of Supporting Healing and Restoring Hope to patients, families, and clinicians who have been impacted by medical errors and adverse events. Nominate an individual(s), organization, or YOURSELF for the 2010 MITSS HOPE Award. This prestigious award will be formally announced at the beginning of next week, so stay tuned for nomination information, eligibility criteria, and more!!!

Above all, we need to foster, encourage, and support Patient Safety efforts all year round. Take the time this week, and every week, to honor and remember those who have been harmed by adverse events.

Tune in to WIHI Thursday, March 4th!

What should happen in the first hour or first day after an adverse or sentinel event in your health care organization? Wait for all the facts to come in? Sequester yourselves until all the talking points have been agreed upon and legal counsel gives the go ahead to say something? For answers to these questions and more,

Don't miss Message to Managers: Crises Happen. Plan Ahead!

Thursday, March 4, 2010
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM Eastern Time
This is a free audio program, but you need to be registered. Visit www.ihi.org for registration info.

This program features:

Jim Conway MS, FACHE, Senior Fellow, former Senior Vice President, Institute for Healthcare Improvement and Member, MITSS Board of Directors

Timothy McDonald, MD, Professor of Anesthesiology and Pediatrics, Associate Chief Medical Officer for Safety and Risk Management, University of Illinois-Chicago

Richard Boothman, Chief Risk Officer, University of Michigan Health System

Click here for full details.

IHI Podcast Now Available -- Adverse Events and their Aftermath: SOS from Clinicians

Whenever there's an adverse event or medical error in health care, clinicians are affected, too. As organizations develop more accountable and transparent ways to interact with families and patients who've been harmed, the emotional and professional needs of doctors, nurses, and staff – whether directly or indirectly involved in an incident – also need to be addressed. In a 2000 essay in the BMJ, Dr. Albert Wu coined the phrase “the second victim” to put a face to the health care personnel facing loss of confidence and isolation in the aftermath of a tragic event. Now, a decade later, Dr. Wu's courage in naming a problem and his willingness to openly discuss the “private hell” that can beset even the most talented caregivers have helped many hospitals and health care organizations acknowledge the needs of their staff and create systems to support them.

Listen to the IHI podcast, "Adverse Events and Their Aftermath: SOS from Clinicians," featuring our own Linda Kenney, Dr. Albert Wu, and Sue Scott from the University of Missouri forYOU Team (2009 MITSS HOPE Award winner). Also, check out the resources from this important program. Just click here and scroll down to the program on SOS for Clinicians.

Clinical Cafe -- A Valuable Resource from Quantros

We'd like to pass along information about a new resource for clinicians. Clinical Cafe is a new free online networking site for health professionals and advocates who are passionate about patient safety, risk management and quality improvement. The online community, developed and run by Quantros, is intended for members to connect, share and learn.

Check it out!

Weekend Update

As the week draws to a close, we'd like to call your attention to some upcoming deadlines for some wonderful opportunities:

The National Patient Safety Foundation has issued a call for nominations for awards to be presented at its Annual Patient Safety Congress, May 17 to 19, 2010, in Orlando, Florida. MITSS's own Linda Kenney was the recipient of the 2006 Socius Award. The deadline for nominations is February 12.

The American Hospital Association (AHA) and National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF) co-sponsor a year-long Patient Safety Leadership Fellowship. This a unique and exciting opportunity. Linda was actually the first consumer participant and graduate of the Fellowship in 2005. The deadline for applications is February 15.

The Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) will accept applications for its Safe Medication Management Fellowship until March 1.

Upcoming WIHI Program on Clinician Support

MITSS Executive Director, Linda Kenney; Dr. Albert Wu; and, Sue Scott of the UMissouri forYOU Team (the 2009 MITSS HOPE Award winner) will be featured on an upcoming WIHI program on Clinician Support. The program will be moderated by IHI's Madge Kaplan and air live on Thursday, February 4th, at 2 pm. It is free to listen in and participate, but registration is required. Click here for exciting details.

This promises to be an informative and lively program, so mark your calendars and join us!