The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS) announced today that Harold Oglesby, Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT), Manager, The Center for Pulmonary Health, Candler Hospital, and St. Joseph’s/Candler Health System (SJ/C), has joined the PPAHS Board of Advisors.
“On behalf of PPAHS, I am thrilled to offer the warmest of welcomes to Harold Oglesby as he joins our Board of Advisors,” said PPAHS Executive Director Michael Wong, JD. “As a well-respected authority on respiratory therapy and opioid safety, as well as a life-long advocate for patient safety, Mr. Oglesby embodies everything about our mission and shares our passionate commitment to improve patient health and safety.”
Pointing out that patient monitoring — which, along with alarm fatigue and blood clots — is a key PPAHS initiative, Mr. Wong noted that under Mr. Oglesby’s direction, SJ/C’s use of patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) has been “opioid event free” since the hospital adopted capnography monitoring on all patients using PCA mandatory in 2004.
An estimated 20,000 to 676,000 PCA patients will experience opioid-induced respiratory depression (OIRD) every year. Unrecognized OIRD can result in death or anoxic brain injury. Unmonitored, patients who receive PCA are at risk of experiencing unrecognized OIRD.
“Mr. Oglesby’s success at SJ/C – nearly ten years of event-free PCA monitoring – is not only extraordinarily remarkable, but also exemplifies what PPAHS, our Board of Advisors and our many supporters strongly believe should be a model for hospitals everywhere,” Mr. Wong said. “Mr. Oglesby’s advice, leadership, and expertise in PCA safety will be incredibly valuable in preventing unrecognized opioid induced respiratory depression in tens of thousands of patients, making hospitals safer across the USA.”
Mr. Oglesby, who recently received the prestigious Georgia Hospital Heroes Award from the Georgia Hospital Association, is well known for his lifelong dedication to improving his community. Highly regarded among his colleagues throughout the healthcare industry, Mr. Oglesby is frequently asked to speak at medical conferences and industry events. He recently participated in “Safe opioid use – Strategies for reducing adverse events and related harm” – a webinar hosted by the Premier Safety Institute as part of its Advisor Live® webinar series.
“I can’t begin to describe how excited I am to join the PPAHS Board of Advisors,” Mr. Oglesby said. “Our endeavors to advance key patient health and safety initiatives can – and will – have a positive and significant impact on literally tens of thousands of patients’ lives.”