Check this page to learn more about timely events or happenings that may be relevant to people interested in the delivery of patient- and family-centered care.
Director for Patient Education and Health Literacy
Vanderbilt University Medical Center is seeking a Director for Patient Education and Health Literacy to lead the implementation of health literacy standards for Vanderbilt Hospitals, which includes 600-bed Vanderbilt University Medical Center and The Monroe Carrell Children's Hospital; Vanderbilt Medical Group and Clinic, with over 1,200 physicians; and the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, ranked #15 in US News and World Reports annual ranking of graduate medical education.
This newly created position will establish the strategic plan for the Health Information Center, oversee the development of patient education content and material, and coordinate metrics to measure communication effectiveness. Focusing on operational partnerships, this highly visible role will initiate graphic and readability standards across the medical center and support new patient education programs. This role reports directly to the Director of Patient and Family Centered Care.
Pinwheel Scholarship Offered to Pinwheel Sponsors!
Pinwheel Sponsors can register for a chance to win the Pinwheel Scholarship for the upcoming Pinehurst Hospitals and Communities Moving Forward with Patient- and Family-Centered Care Intensive Training Seminar, November 1-4, 2010! To participate in this random drawing, please contact the Institute no later than Tuesday, September 14, before 5 pm (EST). Simply send an email to aselinger@ipfcc.org or call 301-652-0281.
The scholarship includes the seminar registration fee (registration value: $1390 for health care professionals/individuals; $790 for a patient/family member) as well as resource materials and working meals.
To participate, your organization must agree to accept this scholarship if selected. The winner will be notified on September 15.
Check out the the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) docket to read the public comments submitted in response to the proposed rulemaking, in response to President Obama's April 15, 2010 memorandum on Hospital Visitation.
Update on Nomination of Donald Berwick to Head CMS
On July 7, 2010, President Obama made a recess appointment to name Don Berwick, MD, to serve as Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
Read Don Berwick's Yale Medical School commencement address delivered to the 2010 graduating class.
The Institute staff extends deepest condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of Polly Arango who died on June 26, 2010. Learn more about plans to honor Polly and to share your memories.
NEW NICQ 2007 eBook available
The Vermont Oxford Network new eBook entitled NICQ 2007: Improvement in Action is now available. This eBook is the culmination of NICQ 2007, a two-year improvement collaborative involving teams of neonatal professionals and families representing 46 hospitals in North America. The goal is to consistently provide care that is family-centered, safe, effective, equitable, efficient, timely, and socially and environmentally responsible. The first chapter, Advancing Patient- and Family-Centered Newborn Intensive Care, is co-authored by James Conway, Joanna Celenza, and the Institute's Senior Policy and Program Specialist, Marie Abraham. This entire book is available to download, as are individual chapters. Read more...
Journal of Risk Management Special Issue on Patient- and Family-Centered Care Features Article by Institute's Bev Johnson and Marie Abraham
Bev Johnson, President and CEO, and Marie Abraham, Senior Policy and Program Specialist, both from the Institute, along with Dan Ford, who is Vice President of the Furst Group, co-authored Collaborating with Patients and their Families, an article in the most recent issue of Journal of Healthcare Risk Management. The article focuses on how risk managers and their administrators can create partnerships with patients and their families to improve a variety of outcomes and how the key concepts of patient- and family-centered care can be applied in any health care setting. These partnerships can result in increased safety, reduced errors, and better allocation of resources.
Members of the American Society for Healthcare Risk Management can access the entire special issue on Patient- and Family-Centered Care of the Journal of Healthcare Risk Management, Volume 29, Number 4 on-line for free.
Non-members can contact the publisher, Wiley, to purchase on-line access and reprints.
Centers for Disease Control offer Web-Based Training in Health Literacy for Public Health Professionals
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched a free, web-based Health Literacy for Public Health Professionals training program. The purpose of this training is to educate public health professionals about limited health literacy and their role in addressing it in a public health context. According to the CDC, this course will "challenge you to think about the significance of health literacy in the work you do as a public health professional...[and] provides practical steps to apply the principles and strategies of health literacy in your daily activities."
This web-based course can be accessed 24/7 by any computer with Internet access. It takes 1.5 to 2 hours to complete. Trainees can earn a variety of continuing education credits.
Also, check out AHRQ's Health Literacy and Cultural Competence Resource Links.
Pandemic Planning and Patient- and Family-Centered Care
With the arrival of H1N1 influenza hospitals and clinics began making decisions about policies and practices to aid in
efforts to prevent disease transmission. In October 2009, a working group was convened during the Institute's Hospitals and Communities Moving Forward with Patient- and Family-Centered Care Intensive Training Seminar in Minneapolis, MN to create a set of guidelines that reflect the core concepts of patient- and family-centered care when developing a pandemic plan. During any outbreak of infectious disease, it is important to take steps to
contain the illness and to remember that family members are stewards of patient safety and integral to the healing of loved ones. The continued presence of a family member with a patient, during a pandemic has both safety and
psychological components. Read More...