Author: Mike

Enhanced Respiratory Care Accredited Facilities: A September 1, 2023 Update

From the Desk of Executive Director on the Enhanced Respiratory Care Accreditations.

By Michael Wong, JD (Executive Director, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety)

On April 20, 2023, we announced that accreditation for healthcare facilities for Enhanced Respiratory Care was available. 

Although just launched in April 2023, there are now about 20 healthcare facilities that are accredited, are in quality reviews, or are in discussions about Enhanced Respiratory Care Accreditation. These accreditations are in 6 different states and 3 different countries! For more information, please on the PDF below.

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The Health Center at Standifer Place Becomes First Enhanced Respiratory Care Accredited Facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee

The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS) is pleased to announce that the Health Center at Standifer Place (HCSP) in Chattanooga, Tennessee, has met or exceeded the Enhanced Respiratory Care Standards of Care. HSCP is the second facility in the United States to receive Enhanced Respiratory Care Accreditation.

HCSP is located on a beautiful 40-acre campus near Hamilton Place Mall in scenic Chattanooga, Tennessee. HCSP consists of a 474-bed skilled nursing center, assisted living, adult day care, independent living, and assistive services home and community-based services.  

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Preventing Hospital-Acquired Sepsis: Best Practices and Quality Improvement Initiatives

Preventing Hospital-Acquired Sepsis: Best Practices and Quality Improvement Initiatives

By Dr. Joni Grace, BHMS, PGDCR, Strategic Case Management Consultant, Jhpiego (Johns Hopkins Program for International Education in Gynecology and Obstetrics)

Sepsis is a serious and potentially life-threatening medical condition characterized by a dysregulated systemic response to infection. It is a major global health concern, accounting for a significant number of hospital admissions, prolonged stays, and mortality rates worldwide.

Hospital-acquired sepsis occurs when an infection develops after admission to a healthcare facility, such as a hospital or long-term care facility. It typically arises due to the introduction of pathogens into the patient’s bloodstream through invasive procedures, contaminated medical devices, surgical sites, or poor hygiene practices. Common causative organisms include Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Candida species.

The global burden of sepsis is difficult to ascertain, although a recent scientific publication estimated that in 2017 there were 48.9 million cases and 11 million sepsis-related deaths worldwide, which accounted for almost 20% of all global deaths. In 2017, almost half of all global sepsis cases occurred among children, with an estimated 20 million cases and 2.9 million global deaths in children under five years of age. 

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The Benefits of Multidisciplinary Teams in Sepsis Care at the Healthcare Facility Level: The Role of the Nurse

This article discusses the role of nurses in improving sepsis care. Written by one of our nurse writers, Marsha Pope Harrison, it discusses the recent 4th World Sepsis Congress on the benefits of multidisciplinary teams in sepsis care.

By Marsha Pope Harrison, RN, BSN 

Sepsis is a medical emergency that needs prompt and coordinated care. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines sepsis as a life-threatening illness that occurs when the body’s response to an infection causes damage to its tissues and organs. The damage caused by sepsis can rapidly lead to organ failure and death.

Any infection can result in sepsis, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states nearly 87% of sepsis cases start before the patient gets to the hospital.  

Sepsis is a notable cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. In America, 1.7 million adults develop sepsis, and 350,000 die during their hospitalization, according to the CDC. 

With that said, we must take an interdisciplinary approach to treat patients who arrive with signs and symptoms of this deadly condition. This is where multidisciplinary teams for sepsis care come into play. Multidisciplinary teams play a crucial role in providing comprehensive and effective sepsis care. 

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Biomarkers in Early Diagnosis of Sepsis: An Interview With Dr. François Ventura

Biomarkers in Early Diagnosis of Sepsis: An Interview With Dr. François Ventura

By Michael Wong, JD (Executive Director, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety)

Dr. François Ventura is a specialist in anesthesiology, intensive care medicine, and emergency medicine at the University Hospitals of Geneva and at the Hirslanden Clinique des Grangettes (Geneva, Switzerland). He also collaborates part-time as the chief medical officer of Abionic, a Lausanne-based Swiss MedTech company specializing in the development of ultra-rapid in vitro diagnostic tests.

Dr. François Ventura

I first met him when he spoke on a case report he and his colleagues had published in the Journal of Surgical Case Reports. This report detailed a 62-year-old man who experienced complications of abdominal surgery with intra-abdominal infection, postoperative peritonitis, sepsis, septic shock, and multiple organ failure requiring complex management and multiple surgical interventions.

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West Meade Place Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center Becomes First Enhanced Respiratory Care Accredited Facility

West Meade Place Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center Becomes First Enhanced Respiratory Care Accredited Facility

12 years ago, the  Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety was established with the mission of improving patient safety and the quality of patient care. There can perhaps be no better way to celebrate this accomplishment than today’s announcement of the first facility to receive Enhanced Respiratory Care Accreditation. Congratulations, West Meade!

The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS) is pleased to announce that West Meade Place Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center in Nashville, Tennessee, has met or exceeded the Enhanced Respiratory Care Standards of Care.

West Meade Place Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center has provided nursing services to the Greater Nashville community since 1992.  Said James Wright (Administrator, West Meade Place) about their dedication to quality of care, “At West Meade, we are committed to the care and satisfaction of the customers we serve. Receiving Enhanced Respiratory Care Accreditation demonstrates our continued commitment to ensuring that our customers receive the highest level of care.”
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Has the Patient Safety Needle Moved?

Has the Patient Safety Needle Moved?

This post is in memory of Amanda Abbiehl, whose untimely death due to respiratory compromise sparked the creation of the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety with the mission to improve patient safety and the quality of patient care.

By Michael Wong, JD (Executive Director, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety)

I am often asked, “Has the patient safety needle moved?” Moreover, for some reason, that question usually comes from mothers who have lost a loved one. However, I must admit that I also ask myself this question from time to time.

This is a great question, particularly as the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety is ranked internationally as a top-100 patient safety organization (Agilience Authority Index, July 2023).

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Alleviating The Burden of Sepsis and the COVID Pandemic

The Burden of Sepsis and the COVID Pandemic

We know that every three seconds, one person shockingly dies of sepsis worldwide. Seventy-five percent of the survivors suffer long-term effects. People experiencing poverty were affected more than anybody else. However, amid the global health emergency of COVID-19, there is now an opportunity to create a platform that strengthens the entire health system to address the burden of infectious and non-communicable diseases. 

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Every Second Counts in Sepsis Care

Every Second Counts in Sepsis Care

In the 2023 annual report, “Top 10 Patient Safety Concerns 2023,” ECRI and the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) identify 10 issues that threaten the safety of patients and healthcare workers when processes and systems are not aligned. To develop this report, ECRI and ISMP “analyzed scientific literature, patient safety events, concerns reported to or investigated by either organization, and other various internal and external data to identify the most pressing issues impacting patient safety.”

Of the 10 Patient Safety Concerns, the one where every second counts is Sepsis – “Sepsis is a medical emergency where seconds count.”  According to the Global Sepsis Alliance (“GSA”), sepsis is a global health crisis:

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