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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2021 - 2022
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | December 15, 2020 08:38 AM |
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| From: | Representative Austin A. Davis |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Collaborating to Improve Patient Safety in Nursing |
| An increasing number of patients in Pennsylvania require a constant quality of care that cannot be delivered at home. When the decision is made that care must be provided for our loved ones outside of the home, we want to know that there is someone looking to ensure that when something does go wrong, it is corrected and not repeated, and that quality continues to grow rather than falter. Right here in Pennsylvania, we have one of the most innovative and advanced patient safety networks in the country. Tasked with taking steps to eliminate medical errors by identifying problems and recommending solutions, the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority (PSA) was one of the first organizations of its kind nationally and continues to be a national leader on tracking incidents and helping medical facilities become safer for their patients. However, one area where the PSA itself can improve is to include nursing homes in its reporting requirements. Currently, hospitals, abortion facilities, ambulatory surgical facilities and birth centers must all comply with these requirements. My legislation will add nursing homes to this group so that we can track incidents, analyze data, and ultimately correct the problems that led up to incidents and serious events to prevent them from happening again. This data will give the PSA, the legislature, and the Department of Health a much clearer picture of where individual nursing homes, and nursing homes in general, can improve. This is especially important as we continue to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, and we must take steps to protect the health and safety of all Pennsylvanians, especially our most vulnerable. Your consideration is greatly appreciated. |
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| View Attachment | ||
Introduced as HB379