NQF, Joint Commission award top quality and safety performers

A Houston-based health system and an Oakland, Calif.-based integrated health plan are among the three 2012 recipients of the John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Awards, given jointly by the National Quality Forum and the Joint Commission.

Announced Wednesday, the awards recognize top performers in quality and safety.

Eight-hospital Memorial Hermann Healthcare System, Houston, was honored for its High Reliability from Board to Bedside initiative, a systemwide project focused on evidence-based care, culture change and robust process improvement. Under the program, Memorial Hermann monitors performance on quality metrics and reports data monthly.

Kaiser Permanente won for its implant registries, which use electronic health records, administrative records and patient-reported information to collect data on orthopedic, cardiac and vascular implanted devices. In a joint news release, NQF and the Joint Commission praised Kaiser Permanente's registries for their ability to monitor patient outcomes and identify best practices.

Dr. Saul Weingart, vice president for quality improvement and patient safety at the 30-bed Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, also received an award for his work in advancing patient safety. In particular, Weingart was an early pioneer of medication reconciliation and developed an online portal for patient reporting of adverse events, the two groups said.

The awards will be presented in March at NQF's annual meeting in Washington.

Past Eisenberg Award winners include six-hospital Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, which won last year for its No Harm Campaign; and the Washington State Hospital Association, which received a 2010 award for its Safe Tables Learning Collaborative.