Tag: Gina Pugliese

Memories of Gina Pugliese – A Relentless Advocate for Patient Safety

Editor’s Note: In this article, Michael Wong, JD (Founder/Executive Director, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety) remembers Gina Pugliese and remembers how she pushed him to do more for patient safety.

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

It is with great sadness that I learned that Gina Pugliese passed away on March 4, 2019, after a long battle with cancer.

Continue reading “Memories of Gina Pugliese – A Relentless Advocate for Patient Safety” →

Dead in bed. What are you doing for safer pain?

By Gina Pugliese, RN, MS, FSHEA (Vice President, Premier Safety Institute)

18-year-old Amanda came down with strep throat after her high school graduation party. Her parents never thought the treatment she received in the hospital would abruptly end her life.

I recently heard Cindy Abbiehl share the heartbreaking story of her daughter Amanda who died from treatment for strep throat. Continue reading “Dead in bed. What are you doing for safer pain?” →

Weekly Must Reads in Patient Safety (Jan 30, 2015)

At a conference, clinicians were arguing about the use of technology – some wanted to use it, others wanted to wait until something better came along. The latter group was willing to risk ore adverse events and deaths, while “waiting” it out … although one wonders if they would feel this way if the life of a loved one was on the line …

We think we should make the best use of what we have and save lives now.

To improve patient safety, perhaps we just need to get smarter. Continue reading “Weekly Must Reads in Patient Safety (Jan 30, 2015)” →

Two Practices to Adopt After Pediatric Opioid Trial Halted

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

With more than 500,000 pediatric tonsillectomies performed each year in the United States, removal of tonsils is one of the most common surgeries performed on children. According to the American Academy of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, tonsillectomy is performed 20 percent for infection and 80 percent for obstructive sleep apnea. Continue reading “Two Practices to Adopt After Pediatric Opioid Trial Halted” →

Campaign to Promote Continuous Monitoring of Patients Receiving Opioids

The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety enthusiastically applauds the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) Foundation’s newly launched campaign to promote continuous monitoring of all patients receiving opioid analgesics to manage their pain. Continue reading “Campaign to Promote Continuous Monitoring of Patients Receiving Opioids” →

Weekly Must Reads in Patient Safety (Oct 17, 2014)

Monitoring is the catch word for this week’s must reads. It keeps patients safe and prevents avoidable patient harm. While St Joseph/Candler Hospital just celebrated 10 years of being “event free”, each year an estimated 20,800 to 678,000 patients managing their pain with patient-controlled analgesia will experience life-threatening, opioid-induced respiratory depression. If you are scared about asking your caregivers about monitoring, just say Dr. Robert Stoelting (President, Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation) told you to. Continue reading “Weekly Must Reads in Patient Safety (Oct 17, 2014)” →

10 ways to reduce alarm fatigue

by Gina Pugliese (Vice President, Premier Safety Institute)

In my post yesterday, I discussed the dangers of alarm fatigue. Alarm fatigue is considered the leading health technology hazard, according to the ECRI Institute’s top 10 health technology hazards.

And with 19 out of 20 hospitals (surveyed by the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety) ranking alarm fatigue as a top patient safety concern, it’s become an issue we need to address. And fast.

Continue reading “10 ways to reduce alarm fatigue” →

Sounding the Alarm on Alarm Fatigue

by Gina Pugliese (Vice President, Premier Safety Institute)

(Editor’s note: Gina Pugliese recently joined the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety advisory board. We are pleased and honored to have her expertise and counsel.)

Alarms are a serious matter in busy hospitals and ERs.

Think about all of the devices used in patient care – infusion pumps, cardiac monitors, pulse oximetry devices, blood pressure monitors, bedside telemetry and ventilators. All of these devices have alarms. Collectively, the devices in use on a single patient can produce hundreds of alarms every day. Some alarms are inconsequential. Some are malfunctions. Others signal impending crisis. Many are simply not heard.

Continue reading “Sounding the Alarm on Alarm Fatigue” →

Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety adds Premier, Inc. safety expert Pugliese to Advisory Board

The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS) announced today that Gina Pugliese, RN, vice president of the Premier, Inc. Safety Institute, has joined the PPAHS Board of Advisors. Continue reading “Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety adds Premier, Inc. safety expert Pugliese to Advisory Board” →

Top Patient Safety Experts Explore Ways to Reduce Alarm Fatigue in Webinar

Alarm fatigue, which can occur when physicians and nurses become desensitized to clinical alarms, could be reduced by improving the training of clinicians and customizing the default settings on alarms used to monitor patients, leading opioid safety experts said in a recent webinar. Continue reading “Top Patient Safety Experts Explore Ways to Reduce Alarm Fatigue in Webinar” →