Becker's Hospital Review

50 CMO / CARE DELIVERY 'Patient safety room of horrors' helps med students prepare for hospital mishaps By Megan Knowles A t the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Med- icine, a "patient safety room of horrors" is helping medical students and residents identify hospital room mistakes before they occur, according to a blog post on the AMA Wire. The tool is used for preclinical medical students during their second year and reintroduced to them when they finish their third-year clerkships. The initiative is also part of the universi- ty's resident boot camp before they start practice. Before entering the room of horrors, students receive a mock door chart that describes a fake patient's condition, including allergies and complications. They have 15 minutes to identify all safety hazards around the patient. The room helps residents check to ensure patients are get- ting the right medications, their allergies are accounted for and safety railings are in use on hospital beds. They also check for cost hazards, such as catheters or hand restraints that are unneeded. "When you walk into a patient's room, it's not just the medica- tions, but many things that can put your patient at risk for some reason or other, resulting in either a near-miss or adverse event," said Jeanne Farnan, MD, associate professor of med- icine and associate dean of evaluation and continuous quality improvement at the University of Chicago. "We try to make our residents and students very vigilant about recognizing that by stressing the importance of situational awareness." n UPMC hospital to face class- action suit over improperly cleaned equipment By Mackenzie Bean N ew Castle, Pa.-based UPMC Jameson Hospital will face a class-action lawsuit over improperly cleaned ultrasound probes that put more than 200 patients at risk of infection, reported CBS Pittsburgh. An internal quality assurance review revealed several staff members did not follow or document proper clean- ing procedures for some wands used in internal prostate and OB-GYN exams dating back to October 2017, ac- cording to a hospital statement cited by CBS Pittsburgh. UPMC Jameson immediately implemented corrective measures and notified more than 200 patients who may have been exposed to the dirty equipment. The hospital is also offering affected patients free blood and urine testing, although the hospital said health risks related to the sterilization breach are "extremely low." Attorney Dallas Hartman told CBS Pittsburgh numerous patients have already contacted him about the suit, which he plans to file Nov. 2. "UPMC Jameson is committed to providing high-qual- ity care in the safest environment possible," the hospi- tal said in its statement. "We apologize for the concern and inconvenience this matter has caused our patients and their families." n Baylor St. Luke's replaces heart transplant program chief By Alyssa Rege J effrey Morgan, MD, the heart trans- plant program surgical director at Houston-based Baylor St. Luke's Medi- cal Center, will no longer serve in his role. In- stead, two new cardiothoracic surgeons and a prominent transplant program executive will work together to lead the program, the hospital said Oct. 19. e two surgeons, Kenneth Liao, MD, PhD, and Alexis Shafii, MD, will team up to take over the leadership role previously held by Dr. Morgan, who served in the role since 2016, according to the Houston Chronicle. A Baylor St. Luke's spokesperson confirmed to the Houston Chronicle that Dr. Morgan "no longer holds the title of surgical director, heart transplant & mechanical circulatory support at Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center." She noted Dr. Morgan will remain a member of the medical staff. e hospital also hired Deborah Maur- er, RN, a 25-year transplant program ad- ministrator, to serve as vice president of transplantation — a newly created position designed to oversee the clinical and admin- istrative operations for the hospital's organ transplant programs. e leadership changes follow a series of investigative reports by the Houston Chron- icle and ProPublica that delved into issues with the hospital's heart transplant program and the program's longtime leader O.H. "Bud" Frazier, MD. e hospital temporarily suspended its heart transplant program in June. e program re- sumed in July. However, CMS cut off federal funding to the program in August aer con- cluding Baylor St. Luke's leadership did not do enough to fix the issues that led to poor surgical outcomes within the program. Bay- lor St. Luke's is appealing the decision, ac- cording to the Houston Chronicle. n

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