Southwest
Facilities Continue to Improve Patient Safety
The Southwest and Michigan Care Management Centers share Magellan’s company-wide dedication to the quality and safety of care received by our members. Our annual patient safety survey is yet another way to measure the presence of critical safety-related organizational structures and policies in all Magellan network inpatient facilities by region.
In 2009, the Southwest and Michigan Care Management Centers observed continued improvement in safety management planning and oversight. The survey also revealed essential enhancements in important items such as:
- Fewer delays in evaluation/treatment/testing
- Better routine monitoring of psychiatric units for unsafe materials
- Major increases in annual safety training for staff.
With patient safety the foremost priority, we ask you to build upon these reassuringly positive results while also focusing your efforts on “much needed” improvements in the following areas:
- Inappropriate use of restraints and seclusion
- Coordination of care across levels at discharge
- Policies and monitoring for sending discharge summary and labs to primary care physicians
- Pharmacist review of multiple medications.
“We are encouraged by these continued patient safety improvements, especially in oversight and training,” said Lorence Miller, Quality Improvement Director for the Southwest Care Management Center. “While facilities are making progress in many areas, providers also must not lose sight of critical concerns—like monitoring the use of restraints and coordinating care at discharge—when patient safety is at stake.”
Our two-page, faxable survey was developed with input from the National Association of Psychiatric Health Systems, drawing from industry and accreditation patient safety standards for behavioral health. Please see this issue’s feature article for more details and national results.
We truly appreciate provider participation in our survey, and encourage continued monitoring of patient safety measures.