Press Release – The Health Center at Standifer Place Becomes First Enhanced Respiratory Care Accredited Facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee (September 6, 2023)

The Health Center Center at Standifer Place is the first healthcare facility to be accredited as meeting or exceeding the Enhanced Respiratory Care Standard of Care.

To read the press release, click here.

Patient Safety & Quality Healthcare (PSQH) (July 31, 2023)

In this article published in PSQH, Michael Wong, JD (Executive Director, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety) interviews Dr. François Ventura about using biomarkers to diagnose sepsis. To read the complete article in PSQH, please click here.

Healthcare Business Today (July 11, 2023)

In an article recently published in Healthcare Business Today, Joyce See (Healthcare Writer, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety) and Michael Wong, JD (Executive Director, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety) discuss this session of the World Sepsis Congress on the burden of sepsis and the COVID pandemic. To read the complete article on Healthcare Business Today, please click here.

Press Release (June 15, 2023)

The Global Sepsis Alliance (GSA) and the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS) are excited to announce that 12 of the 16 sessions of the 4th World Sepsis Congress hosted by GSA have been accredited by PPAHS for continuing medical education (CME) credits. This reinforces the commitment by GSA and PPAHS to improving patient safety by educating healthcare professionals on sepsis prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. To read the press release, please click here.

Press Release (April 20, 2023)

The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS) is pleased to announce the availability of accreditation for healthcare facilities that meet the Enhanced Respiratory Care Standards of Care.

The Enhanced Respiratory Care Standards of Care are supported and endorsed by the American Association for Respiratory Care.

Click here to read the press release.

Press Release (July 21, 2022)

The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS) is pleased to announce the formation of the Enhanced Respiratory Care Standards Review Committee.

The Enhanced Respiratory Care Standards Review Committee will make best practice recommendations on the standards long-term care facilities should follow when caring for patients receiving prolonged mechanical ventilation.

Click here to read the press release.

Healthcare Business Today (June 16, 2022)

This article features an interview with Dr. Ashish K. Khanna about the PRODIGY study.  In particular, Dr. Khanna discusses the PRODIGY risk assessment tool and how it is able to identify patients who may be at risk  for opioid-induced respiratory depression. To read the interview, please go to Healthcare Business Today.

DoctorWeighsIn Supports PPAHS Virtual Clinic  (April 23, 2020)

Patricia Salber, MD, MBA (Founder, Editor-in-Chief of The Doctor Weighs In) – “The DoctorWeighsIn is very lucky to have had a long-standing relationship with the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health and Safety (PPAHS), one of the premier patient safety organizations in the country. The Founder and Executive Director, Michael Wong, who has been a frequent contributor, has also arranged for others in his network to write for us as well. We are in awe of the work PPAHS does and are pleased to share the following news from their Press Release.”

To read the DoctorWeighsIn article by Dr. Salber, please click here.

Telehealth Project to Help Atrial Fibrillation Patients During COVID Crisis (April 23, 2020)

The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health and Safety (PPAHS) announced the launch of a new, free virtual clinic and website, Virtual Patient Care, in response to the COVID-19 crisis, to meet the pressing needs of patients with atrial fibrillation (Afib), who are at the highest level of risk from stroke, and to help Afib patients cope with the difficulties imposed by COVID-19. Virtual Patient Care is made possible by the generous grant support of BMS-Pfizer Alliance, as well as the efforts and resources of American Heart Association, Anticoagulation Forum, Heart Rhythm Society, StopAfib.org, Mended Hearts, and Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association.

To read the press release, please click here.

Medium.com – Maternal Death: the Rising National Crisis of Maternal Morbidity and Mortality  (Apr 23, 2019)

In this article, Niran S. Al-Agba, MD (Mom, pediatrician, and Associate Editor at The Deductible); Michael Wong, JD (Executive Director, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety) and John Bianchi (Vice President, Finn Partners) discuss the maternal morbidity and mortality epidemic in the US. Seeking to stem this epidemic, The Preventing Maternal Deaths Act was signed into law. 

Now, the question is how to reduce the national crisis of maternal morbidity and mortality. To reverse increasing maternal mortality, prioritizing venous thromboembolism — the leading medical cause of maternal death in pregnancy — will help lower maternal morbidity and mortality. 

To read the article on Medium.com, please click here.

Medium – Preventing Opioid Overdoses and Death: Let’s Start in the Hospitals  (April 19, 2019)

In this article, Michael Wong, JD (Founder/Executive Director, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety) with Arielle Bernstein Pinsof, MPP, Finn Partners and Gil Bashe, Managing Partner, Finn Partners Health Practice take the position that decreasing the opioid epidemic begins in the doctor’s office and healthcare facilities. 

To read the article on Medium, please click here.

Confident Voices in Healthcare – The 1-Hour Sepsis Bundle Debate – Watching a Stopwatch or Wanting Better Patient Care?  (February 26, 2019)

The recent kerfuffle over the 1-Hour Sepsis Bundle has missed the point about the need for better patient care and a much-needed effort to save patient lives. 

You May Not Get a Second Chance to Save a Patient’s Life (February 14, 2019)

In this article for the DoctorWeighsIn, Michael Wong, JD (Founder and Executive Director, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety) recounts his meeting with Dr. Ken Rothfield that led to the making of the video, “5 Keys to Reducing Sepsis.” 

To read the complete article, please go to DoctorWeighsIn. 

5 Keys to Reducing Sepsis – Monitor for Sepsis  (January 30, 2019)

The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS) is pleased to release a video interview with Dr. Ken Roth eld. Dr. Roth eld is Chief Medical Officer at Medical City Dallas, which is operated by the Hospital Corporation of America. Dr. Roth eld is not only a doctor, but he developed sepsis following hernia surgery. So, Dr. Roth eld has the unique perspective of knowing sepsis from the point of view of a doctor and a patient. 

To watch the video with Dr. Rothfield, please click here. 

To read the press release, please click here.

Press Release – Hospitals to be Evaluated on Their Sleep Apnea Preparedness  (September 26, 2018)

Brian Evans, singer and nominee for Hawaii’s 2nd congressional district, and the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS) announce plans to evaluate hospitals on their sleep apnea preparedness. 

Brian Evans and PPAHS are asking people to help prevent patient deaths and donate generously to the Helen Marie Bousquet Fund by clicking here. 

To read the press release on PR Newswire, please click here.

DoctorWeighsIn – Opioids Can Kill People in Hospitals Too (August 17, 2018)

In an article for DoctorWeighsIn, Michael Wong, JD, discusses why opioids don’t just cause harm on the “street”. Opioids can kill people in hospital too! 

To read the article on DoctorWeighsIn, please click here.

DoctorWeighsIn – How to Reduce Medication Errors by 82% (July 15, 2018)

 Michael Wong, JD (Founder and Executive Director, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety) in this article, “How to Reduce Medication Errors by 82%,” discusses how to reduce medication errors by 82% with Steven Meisel, PharmD, who is a patient safety expert at the Institute for Health Care Improvement (IHI) and the Director of Medication Safety at Fairview Health Services in Minneapolis.

To read the article, please go to the DoctorWeighsIn.

Healthcare Business Today – Is a Patient’s Life Worth $30 per Day? (July 8, 2018)

In this article written by Michael Wong, JD (Founder and Executive Director, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety) asks this thought-provoking question – “Is a Patient’s Life Worth $30 per Day?” 

To read the article, please click here. 

Press Release – COPD’s Role in Respiratory Compromise (June 27, 2018)

COPD is a tremendous healthcare burden in the U.S. and worldwide. Patients with COPD often suffer from respiratory compromise. 

To better understand the key issues every patient and clinician should know about COPD, the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety is pleased to release a clinical education podcast with the Society of Hospital Medicine’s COPD Team. 

To listen to the podcast, please click here. 

To read the press release, please click here.

Press Release – Benzodiazepines and Opioid Use May Result in Respiratory Compromise and Death (May 31, 2018)

Using benzodiazepines and opioids may be a deadly combination. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, more than 30% of opioid overdoses involve the use of benzodiazepines. 

One of the commonly overlooked complications to safe opioid administration is failing to account for the additive sedation effects of non-opioid medication. In recognition of these dangers, in August 2016, the FDA issued its strongest warning about the combined use of opioids and benzodiazepines and issued another caution more recently on September 20, 2017. 

To further emphasize that the concomitant use of benzodiazepines and opioids may be a deadly combination, the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety released a position statement, “Patients Receiving Benzodiazepines, in Combination with Opioid Analgesics, May Suffer from Respiratory Compromise and Death.” 

To read the position statement on the concomitant use of benzodiazepines and opioids, please click here. 

To read the press release, please click here. 

Press Release – Preventing Medication Errors in Hospital (May 24, 2018)

According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, nearly 700,000 emergency department visits and 100,000 hospitalizations each year. 

To understand how hospitals can reduce medication-related medical errors, Michael Wong, JD (Executive Director, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety) recently spoke with Steven Meisel, PharmMD, who is a patient safety expert at the Institute for Health- Care Improvement (IHI). Steven is also Director of Medication Safety at Fairview Health Services in Minneapolis. 

To listen to the podcast, please click here. 

To read the press release, please click here. 

Press Release – Recommendations for Procedural Sedation (May 10, 2018)

The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS) announced its intention to develop a position statement on recommendations for procedural sedation. 

Individuals and organizations interested in assisting in the review of the recommendations for procedural sedation are invited to contact PPAHS. 

To read the press release, please click here.

Press Release – Using Capnography and Recognizing Respiratory Compromise Could Save Patient Lives (May 3, 2018)

The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS) released a clinical education podcast, “Using Capnography and Recognizing Respiratory Compromise Could Save Patient Lives.” 

The podcast features an interview with Jenifer Lightdale, MPH, MD who is division chief, pediatric gastroenterology and chief quality officer at the Children’s Medical Center at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. 

To view the podcast, please click here. 

To read the press release, please click here.

Press Release – Marilyn Neder Flack to Board of Advisors (April 4, 2018)

The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS) is very pleased to announce that Marilyn Neder Flack, who was the Senior Vice President, Patient Safety Initiatives at the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) and Executive Director at the AAMI Foundation, has been appointed to PPAHS’s board of advisors. 

To read the press release, please click here. 

Press Release – Only Continuous Electronic Monitoring Can Ensure Patients Receiving Opioids Are Safe (March 28, 2018)

With the permission of the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI), the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS) is pleased to release the AAMI video on how to keep patients and their families safe, “Only Continuous Electronic Monitoring Can Ensure Patients Receiving Opioids Are Safe.” 

The video can be viewed on the PPAHS YouTube Channel, by clicking here. 

To read the press release, please click here. 

Press Release – Podcast on Wearable, Contact-Free, and Continuous Vital Sign Patient Monitoring (March 26, 2018)

The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety released a clinical education podcast, “Selecting Patient Monitoring Systems.” 

To listen to the podcast, please click here. 

To read the press release, please click here. 

Press Release – COPD’s Role in Respiratory Compromise (March 19, 2018)

The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS) announced its intention to broaden its discussion of respiratory compromise to include non-opioid-related issues and COPD’s role in respiratory compromise. 

PPAHS will commence its discussion about non-opioid related respiratory compromise with a clinical education podcast on the Society of Hospital Medicine’s COPD Guide. 

To read a copy of the press release, please click here. 

Healthcare Business Today – The Case for Continuous Surveillance Monitoring and Real-Time Analytics (March 18, 2018)

In an article published in Healthcare Business Today, Michael Wong, JD (Founder and Executive Director, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety) makes the case for continuous surveillance monitoring and real-time analytics. 

To read the article on Healthcare Business Today, please click here.

Press Release – Preventing Avoidable Deaths (March 15, 2018)

The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety released a clinical education podcast, “Preventing Avoidable Deaths.” In this clinical education podcast, Frank Overdyk, MD, who is an anesthesiologist practicing in Charleston, SC, discusses the costs of monitoring patients receiving opioids and the costs of not being monitored. He says that it is impossible to predict with 100% accuracy how a particular patient will react when administered an opioid. Continuous patient monitoring, which costs just $20-$30 per day in the case of monitoring with pulse oximetry, is a small price to pay to help prevent avoidable patient deaths. 

To listen to the podcast, please click here.

To read the press release, please click here.

Press Release – Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety to Publish Guide to Patient Monitoring, Improved Patient Safety and Outcomes(March 5, 2018)

The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS) announced that it intends to host a Guide to Patient Monitoring, Improved Patient Safety and Outcomes. 

PPAHS has developed a standard set of questions and provided these questions to all manufacturers of patient monitoring equipment of which PPAHS is aware. The Guide will contain answers by the medical affairs department of manufacturers of patient monitoring devices. 

Michael Wong, JD (Founder and Executive Director, PPAHS) says that the Guide is intended to provide information to clinicians: 

“We are often asked by our followers what patient monitoring systems that we would recommend. We hope that the Guide to Patient Monitoring, Improved Patient Safety and Outcomes may help with their decision-making process and implement continuous patient monitoring.” 

To view the patient monitoring guide, please click here. 

Press Release – Columbia University Medical Center Webinar Focuses on Respiratory Compromise Prevention, Recognition and Intervention (February 14, 2018)

The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS) is pleased to announce that the Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) webinar on respiratory compromise prevention, recognition and intervention is now available on the PPAHS YouTube Channel. 

To watch the webinar, please click here.

To read the press release, please click here. 

Hospital News – How Nurses Can Fight the Opioid Epidemic (February 2018)

In this article published in the February 2018 issue of Hospital News, Michael Wong, JD (Founder and Executive Director, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety) discusses what nurses can do to fight the opioid epidemic. 

To read the article (page 43), please click here. 

Press Release – Improving Patient Safety and Reducing Alarm Fatigue (February 1, 2018)

The Physician-Physician Alliance for Health Safety released a clinical education podcast on improving patient safety and reducing alarm fatigue. 

Discussing the right and wrong ways to use continuous surveillance monitoring are a distinguished panel of experts: 

• Leah Baron, MD is chief of the department of anesthesiology at Virtua Memorial Hospital;
• Maria Cvach, DNP, RN, FAAN is director of policy management and integration for Johns Hopkins Health System; and 
• Marc Schlessinger, RRT, MBA, FACHE is senior associate at ECRI Institute’s applied solutions group. 

The podcast may be viewed on the PPAHS YouTube channel by clicking here. 

To read the press release, please click here. 

Home & Long Term Care News – (joint CPSI/PPAHS article) Preventing medical errors during a transfer of care (December 2017)

In this joint article, Michael Wong, JD (Founder & Executive Director of the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety) and Stephen Routledge, MPH (Patient Safety Improvement Lead, Canadian Patient Safety Institute) discuss how medical errors during transfers of care can be prevented. 

To read the article, which was published in the December 2017 issue of Home & Long Term Care News, please click Preventing medical errors during a transfer of care. 

Press Release – Capnography Monitoring During Conscious Sedation: Essential for Maintaining “Eyes and Ears” on Patients (December 14, 2017)

The Physician-Physician Alliance for Health Safety released a clinical education podcast on capnography monitoring with Barbara McArthur, RN, BScN, CPN(C). Barbara is an advanced practice nurse at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, Canada. 

After reviewing the current literature, Sunnybrook decided that monitoring with capnography resulted in safer patient care. Capnography monitoring provides an early indicator of patient deterioration, which can be crucial in averting adverse events and patient deaths. Capnography monitoring, says Ms. McArthur, is monitoring in “real-time. With pulse oximetry, there is a delay, which could be up to a minute in healthy patients. So, that’s a significant sort of time that is delayed that reaction could happen.” 

To listen to the podcast, please click here.

To read the press release, please click here. 

BCMJ (Joint CPSI-PPAHS Article) – Three resources to prevent medical errors during transfer of care (November 29, 2017)

Medical errors can be costly for both patient and hospital. As defined by the Joint Commission: In order to keep patients safe, clinicians should focus on the three key points along the patient’s continuum of care. To help, we offer these free resources: 

To read the article, please go to the British Columbia Medical Journal blog, by clicking here. 

Press Release – Today’s Must-Have: Capnography Monitoring During Conscious Sedation (November 16, 2017)

The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety released a clinical education podcast with Matt Kurrek, MD, FRCPC (Professor, Department of Anesthesia, University of Toronto) and Richard Merchant, MD, FRCPC (Clinical Professor, University of British Columbia, Department of Anesthesia, Pharmacology & Therapeutics). 

To read a transcript of the interview, please click here. 

The podcast may be viewed on the PPAHS YouTube channel by clicking here. 

Press Release – Continuous Patient Monitoring Provides Early Detection of Respiratory Compromise (October 31, 2017)

In a clinical education podcast released by the Physician-Physician Alliance for Health Safety, Jeffrey S. Vender, MD cautions that otherwise stable patients can quickly move down the dangerous path to respiratory compromise. 

Dr. Vender believes that “there’s been a lack of understanding of how to monitor better, or to recognize better, those patients at-risk.” He encourages clinicians to do “a better job of monitoring and understanding the drugs we use in those patients at risk, so we can reduce these complications.” 

To read the press release, please click here. 

Press Release – Is Respiratory Compromise The New “Sepsis”?: Interview with Dr. Jeffrey Vender (October 19, 2017)

The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety is pleased to announce the release of a clinical education podcast with Jeffrey S. Vender, MD. 

Jeffrey S. Vender, MD is Clinical Professor at the University Of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine. He is also Chairman of the clinical advisory committee to the Respiratory Compromise Institute. 

During the podcast, Dr. Vender discussed similarities with early stages of the campaign to raise awareness about sepsis. 

To listen to the podcast, please click here.

To read the press release, please click here. 

DoctorWeighsIn – Why Have Low Safety Standards for Dental Anesthesia? (October 13, 2017)

In this article, Annie Kaplan, MD, Michael Wong, JD, and Patricia Salber, MD, MBA, provide an update on the effort to pass Caleb’s Law and discuss why sedation standards in dentistry should be no different than with other medical procedures. 

To read the article, please click here. 

Press Release – Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety Announces 2017-18 Clinical Education Podcast Series (October 12, 2017)

Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety announced the continuation of its successful clinical education podcast series. The clinical education podcasts will feature physicians, nurses, and respiratory therapists sharing their clinical expertise and recommendations for improving patient outcomes and patient safety. 

To read the press release, please click here. 

Outpatient Surgery – Avoiding Opioid-Related Respiratory Depression (October 2017)

At certain dosages, the opioids you give to patients to manage surgical pain can lead to respiratory depression — and overdoses can lead to respiratory failure. 

In this article published in Outpatient Surgery, Michael Wong, JD (Founder and Executive Director, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety) discusses why pulse oximetry and nursing spot checks are not enough to prevent respiratory depression and keep patients safe. 

To read the article in Outpatient Surgery, please click here.

Hospital News – (CPSI/PPAHS article) What doctors can do to prevent medical errors during transitions of care (October 2017)

In this article by Michael Wong, JD, is the Founder & Executive Director of the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety and Stephen Routledge, MPH, is Patient Safety Improvement Lead, Canadian Patient Safety Institute, Mr. Wong and Mr. Routledge discuss what doctors can do to prevent medical errors during transitions of care. 

To read the article on Hospital News, please click here.

TheDoctorWeighsIn – Continuous Monitoring Could Have Saved This Patient’s Life (September 27, 2017)

“Had Lorrie McCombs been monitored with pulse oximetry and capnography, she might be alive today.” This was my first thought when I recently read the article, “Widower gets $3.2 million in hospital suit against WellStar.” 

A jury awarded Lorrie McCombs’ husband more than $3.2 million in a malpractice suit brought against Kennestone Hospital and WellStar Medical Group for the 2012 death of his wife, Lorrie McComb. 

To read the complete article on TheDoctorWeighsIn, please click here.

Press Release – We Need to Focus on Patient Safety to Battle the Opioid Epidemic: 5 Key Steps to a More Balanced Approach (September 26, 2017)

Opioid-related deaths are a leading national and community concern. Unfortunately, reports of opioid-related deaths occur with astonishing regularity in our daily news feeds. 

“Though much of the attention on opioid-related harm is centered on the improper use of opioids in the community (misuse, diversion, etc), the truth is that opioid harm exists across a continuum of care,” says Michael Wong, JD (Founder and Executive Director, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety), “which begins with the safe use of opioid analgesics in the hospital setting and the prescription of opioids upon discharge of the patient from a healthcare facility. We must first and foremost make sure that opioids provided to patients are done so in a safe manner both during administration and upon discharge.”

In a recent article, Mr. Wong outlines 5 key steps to a more balanced approach to the prescribing of opioids. 

To read the article by Mr. Wong, please click here. 

To read the press release, please click here. 

Press Release – Paul Buisson Death from Opioid-Related Adverse Events Could Have Been Prevented: 3 Steps That Could Have Been Taken (July 6, 2017)

Paul Buisson’s death from opioid-related adverse events could have been prevented. In a recent article written by the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS), which has been published on healthcare news site The Doctor Weighs In, three steps that could have been taken are discussed. 

To read the press release, please click here. 

Press Release – Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety Participates in 1st Annual Anticoagulation Summit (Jun 22, 2017)

Patient advocates and leading medical societies involved in awareness building and improving patient safety in Atrial Fibrillation (Afib) and venous thromboembolism (VTE) gathered recently for the 1st Annual Anticoagulation Summit, a two-day conference. 

To read the press release, please click here.

Press Release – We Need to Focus on Patient Safety to Battle the Opioid Epidemic: 5 Key Steps to a More Balanced Approach (September 26, 2017)

Opioid-related deaths are a leading national and community concern. Unfortunately, reports of opioid-related deaths occur with astonishing regularity in our daily news feeds. 

“Though much of the attention on opioid-related harm is centered on the improper use of opioids in the community (misuse, diversion, etc), the truth is that opioid harm exists across a continuum of care,” says Michael Wong, JD (Founder and Executive Director, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety), “which begins with the safe use of opioid analgesics in the hospital setting and the prescription of opioids upon discharge of the patient from a healthcare facility. We must first and foremost make sure that opioids provided to patients are done so in a safe manner both during administration and upon discharge.”

In a recent article, Mr. Wong outlines 5 key steps to a more balanced approach to the prescribing of opioids. 

To read the article by Mr. Wong, please click here. 

To read the press release, please click here. 

Press Release Correction: Capnography Monitoring of Five-Year Old Amber Athwal May Have Prevented Her Brain Damage (September 22, 2017)

The September 21, 2017 press release from the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety contained an incorrect quote from Michael Wong, JD (Founder and Executive Director, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety. The corrected quote should read: “Adequacy of ventilation is measured by capnography, which was not used to monitor Amber during her recovery. Had Amber been monitored with capnography, perhaps she would not have suffered brain damage.” 

To read the corrected press release, please click here.

Press Release – Capnography Monitoring of Five-Year Old Amber Athwal May Have Prevented Her Brain Damage (September 21, 2017)

The recent case of five-year old Amber Athwal is a reminder yet again of the dangers of dental sedation without the availability of adequate personnel and patient monitoring. Unfortunately, what happened to Amber is not an isolated event, as other pediatric deaths have recently occurred, tragically with 6 year-old Caleb Sears, as well as 9-year old Solomon Womack, 17-Year Old Mariah Edwards, and 17-year-old girl, Sydney Gallegher. 

To read the complete article on Amber Athwal on the PPAHS blog, please click here. 

To read the press release, please click here.

Press Release – What are you doing for Pain Awareness Month? (September 19, 2017)

The American Chronic Pain Association asks people to “not just sit there” and “Give a Squat 4 Pain” in honor this month of Pain Awareness Month. To view the infographic in support of “Squat 4 Pain”, please click here. 

Michael Wong, JD, (Founder and Executive Director, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety) reminds people that although opioids accountable for the deaths of 91 Americans die each day, the prescribing of opioids should be balanced and recognize that they may be appropriate for some patients. 

To read the PPAHS press release on Pain Awareness Month, please click here. 

To view the Pain Awareness Month infographic, please click here. 

Press Release – Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety says Family Caregivers Need Support and Recognition (September 14, 2017)

National Family Caregivers Month – celebrated each November — is a time to recognize and honor family caregivers across the country. 

Michael Wong, JD (Founder and Executive Director, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety) says that these 10 tips for family caregivers from the Caregiver Action Network (CAN) may be helpful. 

To read the press release, please click here. 

To view or download the infographic, “10 Tips for Family Caregivers”, please click here.

Press Release – Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety says “Suspect Sepsis – Save Lives” (September 13, 2017)

According to the Sepsis Alliance:

“Every 2 minutes someone dies from sepsis in the U.S. – that’s more than from prostate cancer, breast cancer and AIDS combined. 

“This Sepsis Awareness Month, join us in raising awareness and saving lives from sepsis. 

“Sepsis is treatable, especially with early recognition and care. You can help by learning the signs and symptoms of sepsis and taking action in your community to spread the word.” 

To promote awareness of sepsis, the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety recently posted on the PPAHS blog an article by Marijke Vroomen Durning, RN (Director of Content, Sepsis Alliance). 

To read the press release, please click here. 

To read the article by Marijke Vroomen Durning, please click here.

Press Release – Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety recommendations for doctors to prevent medical errors during transfers of care (September 6, 2017)

In an effort to reduce medical errors during transfers of care, Stephen Routledge, MPH, (Patient Safety Improvement Lead, Canadian Patient Safety Institute) and Michael Wong, JD, (Founder and Executive Director, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety) recently co-authored an article, “What doctors can do to prevent medical errors during transfer of care.” 

To read the press release, please click here. 

Press Release – Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety Honors Amanda Abbiehl On 7th Death Anniversary (July 18, 2017)

The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety released an article in memory of the 7th anniversary of Amanda Abbiehl’s death. 

To read the press release, please click here.

Press Release – Fostering Better Physician-Patient Communications: Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety Releases Interview With Creator of Patient Aider (June 21, 2017)

The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety released a new interview with Mari Miceli, a nurse and the creator of patient safety smartphone app, PatientAider. The application is a tool designed to help patients, families and their advocates while in hospital educate themselves about patient safety. 

To read a copy of the press release, please click here. 

Press Release – Physician-Patient Alliance Appoints Communications Director (June 8, 2017) 

The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS) announced that Nicholas Wong has been appointed as Director, Communications. “Nicholas has spent nearly a decade developing and implementing strategic initiatives for major Canadian retail and marketing companies,” said Michael Wong, JD, founder and executive director of PPAHS. “In particular, he has built a breadth of knowledge in digital analytics. We are confident that with this skill set, Nicholas will help improve our patient safety outreach.” 

To read the press release, please click here.

Press Release – Position on Continuous Electronic Monitoring During Opioid Use (June 6, 2017)

The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS) has released a position paper calling for continuous electronic monitoring for patients undergoing moderate and conscious sedation, or recovering from procedures and managing pain using a patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) pump, particularly those during the postoperative period. 

A PDF version of the position statement can be found on the PPAHS website here. 

To read the press release, please click here. 

The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety Releases New Patient Story Focussed on Patient-Controlled Analgesia (May 3, 2017) 

The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS) has shared a new patient story video titled “Tyler’s Story: A Deadly PCA Medical Error” on its YouTube channel.

Press Release: New Report by RCI on Preventing Respiratory Compromise in Vulnerable Patients (May 3, 2017)

The Respiratory Compromise Institute (RCI) has recently published a new report titled “Respiratory Compromise as a New Paradigm for the Care of Vulnerable Hospitalized Patients.” The RCI Report is published by the American Association for Respiratory Care, and addresses the unmet needs of respiratory compromise from a clinical practice perspective. 

To read the full report, click here to access the abstract and full monograph in the Respiratory Care Journal. 

To read the press release, please click here.

Healthcare Business Today: “Good” Hospitals Require Real Leaders (April 9, 2017)

As the Executive Director of the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety, a non-profit whose mission is the improvement of patient safety, I am often asked how to tell a “good” hospital (i.e. patient safe) from a “bad” hospital (i.e. unsafe). 

 In thinking about “good” and “bad” hospital leadership, I am reminded of two discussions I had with hospital leaders – which leaders’ hospital would you rather be a patient at or, if you are a clinician, work at? 

To read the full article, please click here. 

Nine Minutes to Improving Opioid Safety (April 4, 2017)

The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety released a YouTube video which discusses in nine minutes how to improve opioid safety. The video features highlights from over 10 hours of in-depth interviews released by PPAHS in 2016; altogether, the podcast series has generated over 130,000 cumulative views on YouTube. 

To view the video, please click here.

To read a copy of the press release, please click here. 

Blood Clot Awareness Month (March 21, 2017)

In honor of Blood Clot Awareness Month, the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety re-released resources for clinicians, patients, and their loved ones to bring attention to blood clot safety. 

To read the press release, please click here. 

A Nursing Error Led to My Son’s Unexpected Death  (August 20, 2018)

The DoctorWeighsIn shared our story of how the unmonitored use of patient-controlled analgesia and nursing errors led to the unexpected death of a mother’s only child (and how it might have been prevented), authored by Victoria Ireland, the mother of the child. 

Read the full article here. 

PPAHS Releases Position on Ambulation as Key Health Metric (February 23, 2017)

The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety released a position paper calling for patient ambulation as a key health metric alongside other vital metrics such as heart rate and respiration. 

To read the press release, please click here. 

A PDF version of the official statement can be found here. 

What Can Nurses do to Prevent Opioid-Induced Respiratory Depression? (January 26, 2017) 

Published originally in ADVANCE for Nurses (which has ceased publication), Michael Wong, JD, founder and executive director, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety spoke with Carla Jungquist, PhD, ANP-BC, of the University of Buffalo School of Nursing, about how postoperative patients are assessed by their nurses. 

The article can now be read here.

Press Release – SONORIA and Patient-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety Announce Alliance to Improve Clinical Collaboration that Impacts Patient Health and Safety (January 24, 2017)

The Society for Non OR Intervention and Anesthesia (SONORIA) and the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety announced their new alliance focused on promoting safety and optimized outcomes for patients undergoing procedures outside of the Operating Room. Wendy Gross MD, President of SONORIA and Michael Wong JD, Executive Director of PPAHS have each agreed to serve as advisors to their respective organization’s boards. 

To read the press release, please click here.

Press Release – Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety Releases Report On Orthopedic VTE (January 12, 2017)

The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS) released findings on practical solutions to prevent venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients undergoing hip and knee replacement. 

To read the press release, click here. 

Press Release – Opioid Deaths Are (Still) Preventable (December 15, 2016)

On the death anniversary of Leah, the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS) remembers an 11-year old girl who died due to opioid-induced respiratory de- pression 14 years ago today. 

To read the press release, please click here.

Press Release – Patient Safety Must Reads for November 2016 (December 12, 2016)

“This month’s articles on PPAHS’ blog focused on key learnings and opioid safety,” says Michael Wong, JD (Executive Director, PPAHS), “We are also proud to have accepted an invitation to be a partner with World Thrombosis Day as part of our new campaign targeting orthopedic blood clots.” 

To read the press release, please click here.

Press Release – Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety Partners with World Thrombosis Day (November 17, 2016)

The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety, an advocacy group dedicated to improving patient safety, has been invited to become a partner of World Thrombosis Day, an international multi-organizational campaign devoted to increasing global awareness about thrombosis, including its causes, risk factors, signs/symptoms, evidence-based prevention and treatments. 

To read the press release, please click here. 

Press Release – 12 Years of Event-Free Use of Opioids: PPAHS releases interview with Harold Oglesby, RRT, St. Joseph’s/Candler Health System (November 8, 2016)

The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS) interviewed Harold Oglesby RRT, Manager, The Center for Pulmonary Health, Candler Hospital, St. Joseph’s/Candler Health System (SJ/C). 

The PPAHS has had the pleasure of featuring Mr. Oglesby in the past; in 2014, SJ/C celebrated 10 years free from opioid-related adverse outcomes under his leadership. A key driver in this was the successful implementation of capnography monitoring modules to the hospital’s existing IV safety platform. As a result, the Georgia-based hospital has been held as a model nationwide for patient safety with a patient safety record which now exceeds 12 years of event-free use of opioids. 

To read the press release, please click here. 

Clinical Pain Advisory & Psychiatry Advisory – 3 Initiatives To Address the Opioid Epidemic

Due to drastically increased opioid addiction and death from opioids in recent years, medical associations, clinicians, and lawmakers are seeking to Õnd ways to mitigate this epidemic. Below we explore 3 different initiatives that address opioid abuse. Clinical Pain Advisory & Psychiatry Advisory cites PPAHS’s “Five Ways Clinicians Can Take the Lead in Addressing the Opioid Crisis”.

To read the Clinical Pain Advisory article, please click here.

To read the Psychiatry Advisory article, please click here.

Press Release – Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety Conducts Survey on Patient Safety in Orthopedics

The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety announced the distribution of a survey to better understand and develop practical solutions to prevent venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients undergoing hip and knee replacement. To read the press release, please click here.

Press Release – PPAHS Launches New Campaign Targeting Orthopedic Blood Clots

The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS) announced it will begin a new patient safety campaign to develop practical solutions to help assess and prevent venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients undergoing orthopedic procedures, particularly total knee and hip replacement. More commonly known as blood clots, VTE consists of both deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolisms (PE) . To read the press release, please click here.

Press Release – PPAHS to Present at ACI Annual Advanced Forum on Medical Liability, Claims, Coverage, and Risk Management

The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS) will be presenting at the American Conference Institute’s 2nd Annual Advanced Forum on Medical Liability, Claims, Coverage, and Risk Management in New York City. The 2-day conference, running from October 27 to 28, will bring together professionals from government, healthcare, risk management, and legal fields to discuss the latest trends and issues in today’s fast-paced medical liability landscape. To read the press release, please click here.

Press Release – Patient Safety Must Reads for September 2016

The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS) released Patient Safety Weekly Must Reads for September 2016. To read the press release, please click here.

To read the September 2016 must reads, please click here.

Press Releases – 5 Strategies to Keep Patients Safe When Receiving Opioids

The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS) today released the second part of an interview with Thomas W. Frederickson, MD, FACP, SFHM, MBA – lead author of the Society of Hospital Medicine RADEO guide (“Reducing Adverse Drug Events Related to Opioids”). In part two of his interview, Dr. Frederickson discusses five key strategies to improve the monitoring of patients receiving opioids. To read the press release, please click here.

Press Release – 5 Key Resources to Reduce the Risk of Respiratory Compromise with Patients with Sleep Apnea

In a recent interview by the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS) on the Society of Hospital Medicine guide for “Reducing Adverse Drug Events Related to Opioids” (RADEO), the lead author, Thomas Frederickson, MD, FACP, SFHM, MBA, highlighted obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as a key contributing condition to greater opioid use risk. To read the press release, please click here.

Are You Pledging to Fight the Opioid Epidemic?

Recently, Vivek H. Murthy, M.D., M.B.A. (United States Surgeon General) sent a letter to US physicians about the impact that the opioid epidemic has had on communities and asks for their help. Voice your opinion by taking this brief (two minute – five question) online survey by the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety by going to https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/opioidepidemic. To read the press release, please click here.

Press Release – Opioids and Benzodiazepines Make a Deadly Combination for Hospitalized Patients

In a recent interview with Thomas W. Frederickson MD, FACP, SFHM, MBA released by the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS), the administration of opioids in combination with benzodiazepines in hospitalized patients is discussed. To read the press release, please click here.

Press Release – Is Surgeon General’s Approach to Fighting the Opioid Epidemic Correct?

Recently, the Surgeon General issued a letter to physicians urging them to take a part in combating the opioid epidemic. On the Surgeon General website, healthcare providers are encouraged to help solve the opioid epidemic – “Our nation faces an opioid crisis. Health care providers are uniquely positioned to help communities and their patients #TurnTheTide on the opioid epidemic. Providers can be the solution. Join the movement. Sign the pledge.”

To understand reactions to the Surgeon General’s letter, the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS) asks for the public and clinicians to complete this brief (two minute – five question) online survey to understand reactions to the Surgeon General’s letter by clicking here.

To read the press release, click here.

Press Release – 5 Key Steps to Assessing and Identifying At-Risk Patients for Respiratory Compromise

The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS) released an interview on “Reducing Adverse Drug Events Related to Opioids” (otherwise known as the RADEO Guide). RADEO was developed by the Society of Hospital Medicine, the largest organization representing hospitalists and a resource for hospital medicine. To better understand the RADEO Guide, the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety interviewed its lead author, Thomas W. Frederickson MD, FACP, SFHM, MBA. To read the press release, please click here.

Press Release – 5 Ways for Addressing the Opioid Epidemic

This press release highlights resources from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in addressing the opioid epidemic. Five ways clinicians can take the lead in addressing this national crisis.

Press Release – 3 Ways to Make Opioids Safer: Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety Encourages Patient Assessment and Monitoring

The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS) today released three ways to make opioids safer. To read the press release, please click here.

Press Release – Patient Safety Weekly Must Reads for August 26, 2016

The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS) announced the resumption of its weekly review of the trending topics in patient safety from PPAHS and around the world. To read the press release, please click here.

Press Release – Quality Healthcare is a Continuum: PPAHS Interview of Peggy Lange, RT on Intermittent vs. Continuous Monitoring

In a recent interview with Peggy Lange, RT (Director of the Respiratory Care Department, St. Cloud Hospital) conducted by the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS), Ms. Lange discussed why intermittent monitoring does not foster quality patient care. To read the press release, please click here.

Press Release – Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety says No Child Should Ever Die from Elective Dental Anesthesia

The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS) says that no child should ever die from elective dental anesthesia. To read the press release, please click here.

Press Release – 5 Key Learnings to Create a Culture of Patient Safety with Capnography: Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety Releases Interview With Peggy Lange, RT

The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety today released an interview with Peggy Lange, RT (Director of the Respiratory Care Department, St. Cloud Hospital). Please click here for a copy of the press release.

DoctorWeighsIn – No Child Should Ever Die from Elective Dental Anesthesia By Annie Kaplan, Michael Wong, & Patricia Salber

Caleb Sears was a healthy 6-year-old boy who was looking forward to ice cream treats after his elective dental surgery. To read the article on why no child should ever die from elective dental anesthesia, please click here.

Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety Releases 5 Steps for Preventing Opioid Harm to Patients

Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS) releases five steps to reducing opioid harm. To read the press release, please click here.

Pharma Letter: Opioids and other medications may result in adverse event or death

In a follow-up to the podcast with Thomas W. Frederickson MD, FACP, SFHM, MBA, Dr. Frederickson wrote this article on the dangers using certain non-opioids in combination with opioids. For the article, please click here.

Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety Announces Top Five Patient Safety Interviews

In honor of the fifth anniversary of the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS), PPAHS today announced the top five patient safety interviews by PPAHS. To read the press release, please click here.

Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety Ranked #9 Patient Safety Authority

According to Agilience, the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS) is ranked #9 as a patient safety authority. Agilience “combines topic relevancy and peer recognition” to rank top authorities in about 10,000 topics. To read the press release, please click here.

Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety Celebrates Fifth Anniversary: 5 Tips for Improving Patient Safety

Today, the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS) celebrated its fifth anniversary. In recognizing this milestone, Michael Wong, JD (Founder and Executive Director, PPAHS) pointed out five tips for improving patient safety from PPAHS in the last 12 months. To read the press release, please click here.

The Doctor Weighs In – 5 Steps for Preventing Opioid Harm to Patients

Stephanie Uses, PharmD, MJ, JD (Patient Safety Analyst, ECRI Institute), Michael Wong, JD (Executive Director, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety) and Lynn Razzano, RN, MSN, ONCC (Clinical Nurse Consultant, PPAHS) write about five steps for preventing opioid harm to patients. To read the press release, please click here.

Outpatient Surgery – 5 Lessons Learned from the Joan Rivers Death Settlement

In this article published in Outpatient Surgery, Frank Overdyk, MSEE, MD (Staff Anesthesiologist, Roper St. Francis), Kenneth P. Rothfield, MD, MBA, CPE, CPPS (System Vice President, Chief Medical Officer, Saint Vincent’s Healthcare, Ascension Health), Michael Wong, JD (Executive Director, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety), Lynn Razzano RN, MSN, ONC-C (Clinical Nurse Consultant, PPAHS) discuss key learnings from the settlement of the lawsuit involving the death of Joan Rivers.  To read the article, please click here.

A Promise to Amanda Foundation Says “Capnography Saves Lives”: Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety Remembers Amanda Abbiehl on 6th Death Anniversary

On the sixth death anniversary of 18-year old Amanda Abbiehl, July 17, 2016, the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS) noted that the motto of A Promise to Amanda Foundation – “Capnography Saves Lives” – is increasingly being realized. For a copy of the press release, please click here.

DoctorWeighsIn – A New Tool to Predict Respiratory Failure: An Interview with Hiroshi Morimatsu, MD, Ph.D

Being able to easily assess a patient’s condition via a single, multi-parameter indicator would help clinicians determine whether changes in treatment are needed. In this article, Michael Wong, JD interviews Hiroshi Morimatsu, MD, Ph.D (Okayama University Hospital, Okayama, Japan) about research he and his colleagues conducted using a patient pulmonary index that gathered into a single indicator a measurement of a patient’s end-tidal CO2, pulse oximetry, respiratory rate, and pulse rate on a ten-point scale. To read the article, please click here.

Press Release – National Coalition for Alarm Management Safety and National Coalition to Promote Continuous Monitoring of Patients on Opioids Recognized for Contribution to Patient Safety

The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS) is pleased to announce that the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) has bestowed a prestigious national gold award on the AAMI Foundation for its patient safety initiatives, specifically the contributions of its National Coalition for Alarm Management Safety and National Coalition to Promote Continuous Monitoring of Patients on Opioids. To read the press release, click here.

Press Release – Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety Releases Two Presentations on Reducing Medical Errors and Obstetric Malpractice Claims

At the recent conference “15th Annual Advanced Forum on Obstetric Malpractice Claims,” a panel of four health experts discussed “Implementing Preventive Measures, Reducing Risk and Managing Adverse Outcomes.” For the complete press release, please click here.

Press Release – 3 Lessons for Preventing Death and Brain Damage in Newborns and Their Mothers: Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety presents at Conference on Obstetric Malpractice Claims

At the recent conference “15th Annual Advanced Forum on Obstetric Malpractice Claims,” Michael Wong JD (Founder and Executive Director, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety) spoke on how death and brain damage in newborns and their delivering mothers might be prevented. For the complete press release, please click here.

TheDoctorWeighsIn – What Can Be Done about Medical Errors? [June 21, 2016]

Michael Wong and Nicholas Wong, “What Can Be Done about Medical Errors?”. To read the article, please click here.

AAMI Blog: Financial Objections Don’t Add Up in Monitoring Debate

Michael Wong, JD (executive director of the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety) and Lynn Razzano, RN, MSN, ONCC (clinical nurse consultant, PPAHS) discuss why financial objections don’t add up in the debate about whether to implement continuous electronic monitoring. To read the article in the AAMI blog, please click here.

24×7 Magazine – Six Lessons about Opioids and Respiratory Depression, from a Nurse Who Lost Her Son [March 31, 2016]

24×7 Magazine, “Six Lessons about Opioids and Respiratory Depression, from a Nurse Who Lost Her Son”. To read the article, please click here.

Advance for Nurses – 3 Ways Technology Can Help Nurses Spend More Time at Patients’ Bedside [May 22, 2013]

By Michael Wong, “3 Ways Technology Can Help Nurses Spend More Time at Patients’ Bedside.” To read the article, please click here.

The Doctor Weighs In  – 5 Benefits of Adopting Patient Safety Checklists [May 6, 2013]

By Sean Power, “5 Benefits of Adopting Patient Safety Checklists.” To read the article, please click here.

Respiratory Therapy – Health Experts Discuss Four Flawed Monitoring Practices [February – March 2013]

By Sean Power, “Health Experts Discuss Four Flawed Monitoring Practices.” To read the article, please click here.

Becker’s Clinical Quality & Infection Control – Does CMS’ Proposed Quality Measure on Patient Monitoring Adequately Address Patient Safety? [January 15, 2013]

By Michael Wong, “Does CMS’ Proposed Quality Measure on Patient Monitoring Adequately Address Patient Safety?”  To read the article, please click here.

Patient Safety & Quality Healthcare – Does CMS Proposed Measure for PCA Safety Go Far Enough? [January 12, 2013]

By Michael Wong, “Does CMS Proposed Measure for PCA Safety Go Far Enough?” To read the article, please click here.

Internal Medicine News – Three Tips for Decreasing Alarm Fatigue [November 21, 2012]

By Michael Wong, “Three Tips for Decreasing Alarm Fatigue.” To read the article, please click here.

Becker’s Clinical Quality & Infection Control – Addressing The Joint Commission Opioid Warnings: A Case Study From Wesley Medical Center on Reducing Respiratory Depression and Improving Patient Safety [November 19, 2012]

Sean Power and Michael Wong in “Addressing The Joint Commission Opioid Warnings: A Case Study From Wesley Medical Center on Reducing Respiratory Depression and Improving Patient Safety discuss a recent study by researchers at Wesley Medical Center in Wichita, Kan. which suggests exhaled CO₂ monitoring of patients using patient-controlled analgesia pumps could help reduce the occurrence of this adverse event. To read the article, please click here.

Patient Safety & Quality Healthcare – Four Technology Recommendations to Reduce Alarm Fatigue [November 13, 2012]

According to ECRI Institute, an independent, nonprofit organization that researches the best approaches to improving the safety, quality, and cost-effectiveness of patient care, alarm hazards are the number-one health technology hazard for 2013. To read Michael Wong’s article, “Four Technology Recommendations to Reduce Alarm Fatigue,” please click here.

Patient Safety & Quality Healthcare – Patient Safety Checklist Helps Address Opioid Warnings from TJC [September 25, 2012]

Sean Power and Michael Wong in “Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety checklist supports Sentinel Event Alert on opioid hazards,” discuss how the PCA Safety Checklist addresses the Joint Commission sentinel event alert. To read the article, please click here.

Becker’s Clinical Quality & Infection Control  – 5 Tips on How to Improve Patient Safety With the Help of Technology [July 17, 2012]

Implementing change to decrease adverse events and to increase patient safety can be difficult for hospitals and healthcare facilities to implement. In this article, Michael Wong discusses 5 Tips on How to Improve Patient Safety With the Help of Technology. To read the article, please click here.

SurgiStrategies – Monitoring Technology for PCA Pumps Can Prevent Adverse Events with Patient-Controlled Analgesia [May 3, 2012]

To read the article by Michael Wong, “Monitoring Technology for PCA Pumps Can Prevent Adverse Events with Patient-Controlled Analgesia,”  please click here.

The Doctor Weighs In – Hospitals can’t afford to give away money, so why are preventable adverse events still occurring? [May 1, 2012]

In this article, Michael Wong asks an interesting question – Hospitals can’t afford to give away money, so why are preventable adverse events still occurring?  To read the article, please click here.

Becker’s ASC – Reducing Errors With Patient-Controlled Analgesia Pumps: Q&A With Bryanne Patail the National Center for Patient Safety [February 9, 2012]

In this article, “Reducing Errors With Patient-Controlled Analgesia Pumps,” Michael Wong interviews Bryanne Patail of the National Center for Patient Safety. To read the article, please click here.

HealthCareReport – Yes, Real-Time Monitoring Would Have Saved Leah [January 26, 2012]

Lenore Alexander tells the story of her daughter Leah, whose life might have been saved had she been continuously electronically monitored. To read the article, please click here.

Hospitalist News – Think Smart to Improve the Safety of Patient-Controlled Analgesia [November 30, 2011]

Michael Wong’s article, “Think Smart to Improve the Safety of Patient-Controlled Analgesia” can be read by clicking here.

How to Prevent ‘Dead-in-Bed’ Syndrome With Patients After Surgery: Q&A With Physician Experts and PPAHS [November 9, 2011]

Becker’s ASC Review interview of PPAHS and some members of the PCA Safety Checklist group – to read the article, please click here.