Program to enhance patient safety
On Sept. 20, dozens of community members and leaders – including Carson City Mayor Bruce Tasker – joined the staff of Carson City Hospital to celebrate the launch of a unique pilot program called MORE-OB. “MORE” stands for Managing Obstetrical Risk Efficiently. The day of the launch was the beginning of a multi-year experience that will end with a fully integrated, trained staff that puts aside traditional hospital hierarchy systems and embraces the concept of always putting patient safety first.
“Keeping moms and babies safe – that’s what MORE-OB is all about,” said Carson City Hospital Vice President Matt Thompson. “And this program can – and will – translate into keeping all patients safe when we incorporate it into the culture of every department here at Carson City Hospital.”
Clinical error in OB care can have a tremendous impact on families, providers and society. Errors that can lead to poor outcomes for mothers and babies can be devastating. MORE-OB – a comprehensive patient safety improvement and professional development program for both caregivers and administrators – is designed to significantly reduce the possibility of clinical error.
MORE-OB builds and sustains a culture of safety, and makes patient safety the number one priority. It began in hospitals in Canada in 2004, and is being launched in the United States through a new partnership between Salus Global and The Risk Management and Patient Safety Institute (RMPSI).
Greater patient safety is the goal of the MORE-OB program, which focuses on several key elements to foster an environment of safety: Culture, Communication, Collaboration, Teamwork, Reflective Learning and System Improvements.
“We’re so proud to be implementing this program here at Carson City Hospital,” said Thompson. “And we’re particularly proud to be the pilot program in the U.S. since the inception of the Salus and RMPSI partnership. It’s an exciting moment for us, and really says something about our staff … that our OB Department will be working on this project. And it’s going to mean the best care for our patients.”
For more information about Carson City Hospital, visit online at www.carsoncityhospital.com.
PHOTO CAPTION: The Carson City Hospital MORE-OB Core Team dressed in “black tie” for the official launch of the MORE-OB program on Sept. 20. The core team includes Dr. Michelle Becher, Dr. Jennifer Carman, Matt Thompson, Diane Brown, Dena Kent, Stefanie Schafer, Christina Snyder, and Carson City Hospital O.B. Department Manager Shelly Betancourt, R.N. Also pictured: Carson City Hospital Obstetrics Department staff and Center for Women’s HealthCare staff. Not pictured are MORE-OB core team ad hoc members pediatrician Dr. Alberto Betancourt and anesthesiologist Dr. Michael Mullins.