Journal Staff Report
Rainy Lake Medical Center hospital campus received two awards last week for safe surgical practices from the Minnesota Hospital Association.
Through the Patient Safety Excellence Awards program, the association recognized hospital and health system efforts in five safety categories. The Falls hospital received awards in two of the categories, which are related to safety during surgery. The association awarded 21 Minnesota hospitals.
RLMC received an award for meeting the association’s measures to prevent “wrong-site surgical or other invasive procedures,” under the association’s “Safe Site” campaign. The other award recognizes efforts in preventing foreign objects from unintentionally being left behind in the patient following surgery, called the “Safe Account” campaign.
Award recipients were chosen on the basis of implementing at least 90 percent of each campaign’s requirements.
“Minnesota hospitals are working to improve the quality and safety of the care they deliver — and share meaningful information about that care with the public,” according to a statement from the Minnesota Hospital Association.
Other safety campaigns carried out by the association include preventing pressure ulcers by repositioning immobile, at-risk patients every two hours; preventing falls; and safety during labor and delivery.
The association’s safety campaigns are based on national and state “best practices,” according to the MHA.
Awards are given quarterly, and hospitals are required to requalify for awards each round. The awards program has been in existence for four years. According to the MHA, most Minnesota hospitals have won some, if not all, of the five types of awards available.
