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Overview
Patient Safety Area of Emphasis
The Department of Veteran’s Affairs funded the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital, Tampa to establish a VISN 8 Patient Safety Center of Inquiry. The Center was originally funded for three years in 1999 and has continued to receive funding to the present time. The focus of this Center is safe mobility. Two goals for this center are: (1) To promote personal freedom and safety for frail elderly and persons with disabilities, across the continuum of care and (2) To build a "culture of safety" to support clinicians in providing safe patient care and safe working environments.
Three other Centers, organized under the VA National Patient Safety Center, are in White Plains (VT), Cincinnati (OH), and Palo Alto (CA).
Key Center Objectives:
- To develop and test clinical innovations to decrease risk related to mobility.
- To design a model patient safety improvement program for VISN 8.
- To apply biomechanical analysis towards the design and development of safe patient care techniques and equipment.
- To develop and test clinical innovations for safe patient handling and movement.
- To transfer new technologies to the marketplace.
- Design and test effective strategies for innovation diffusion in patient safety.
Divisions
The center is comprised of six divisions: (1) Clinical Care Innovations, (2) Patient Safety Improvement Systems, (3) Technology Innovations for Safe Patient Care, (4) Safe Patient Handling and Movement, (5) Knowledge Transfer, and (6) Epidemiology and Costs. Several projects have been identified for each division that address the mission of the center.
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Processes Designed to Support Center Activities
VISN 8 Patient Safety Center of Inquiry Advisory Board
The Patient Safety Center Advisory Board was established in December 1998 to provide strategic direction, build infrastructure to support center activities, facilitate implementation of innovations. Membership includes key leaders in safety, rehabilitation, researchers with expertise in areas such as gait and balance, biomechanics, quality improvement, health economics, fall risk assessment, and other key topic areas.
Executive Committee
An Executive Committee was established to track progress and plan expansion of the center. This group meets every two months and is chaired by the Center Director.
VISN 8 Safety Improvement Board
The VISN 8 Safety Improvement Board was formed in June 1999 to serve as champions for implementing safety initiatives. Each VAMC in VISN 8 donated 0.20 FTEE of a risk manager or quality manager to participate in patient safety activities. This group meets twice a year and has regularly scheduled conference calls.
Patient Fall Prevention Advisory Board
The Patient Fall Prevention Advisory Board was established in December1999 to provide strategic direction to the VISN 8 Patient Safety Center of Inquiry, as it relates to patient falls. Membership includes clinicians and researchers with expertise in areas such as gait and balance, biomechanics, quality improvement, health economics, fall risk assessment, and other key topic areas.
Innovation Diffusion Advisory Board
The Innovation Diffusion Advisory Board was established in April 2000 to provide strategic direction to the VISN 8 Patient Safety Center of Inquiry. Membership includes clinicians and researchers with expertise in areas such as evidence-based practice, organizational learning, benchmarking, communities of practice, and other key topic areas.
Medication Error Advisory Board
The Medication Errors Advisory Board was established in May 2000 to provide strategic direction to the VISN 8 Patient Safety Center of Inquiry. Membership includes clinicians and researchers with expertise in areas such as pharmacy, risk management, communities of practice, and other key topic areas.
Safe Patient Handling and Movement Advisory Board
This Advisory Board was established in May 2000 to provide strategic direction to the VISN 8 Patient Safety Center of Inquiry. Membership on this national board includes clinicians and researchers with expertise in areas such as pharmacy, risk management, communities of practice, and other key topic areas.
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Intellectual Property
Our Technology Division has placed a strong emphasis on negotiating in advance for intellectual property rights related to equipment design. It is our intent to negotiate Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs) with all of our key partners. As a precursor to the CRADA, Regional Counsel has assisted us in developing a Proprietary Information Agreement, negotiated at the local level to clarify ownership of new intellectual property arising from contracted endeavors. We have had greater success at initiating collaborative vendor partnerships using this simplified instrument. Proprietary Information Agreements have been successfully negotiated with Unisphere, Inc. and negotiations are underway with BHM Medical, Inc.
To date, two invention disclosures have been filed with VHA Patents and Licensing Office.
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