On Dec. 3, the Indiana Hospital Association celebrated the progress of Indiana health care organizations, including Putnam County Hospital, toward achieving the goal of making Indiana the safest state to receive health care. IHA, Putnam County Hospital and other participating organizations, celebrated successes and looked to the future at the, “ Partnership for Patients: Celebrate to Accelerate ” event.

In April 2011, the Department of Health and Human Services announced a new initiative called the Partnership for Patients , with goals of reducing hospital-acquired conditions (harms) by 40 percent and readmissions by 20 percent by December 2013.

In support of this federal initiative, IHA created Coalition for Care and joined with 116 Indiana hospitals, including Putnam County Hospital, and other health care organizations committed to providing the best and safest care. Coalition for Care is Indiana’s largest hospital engagement network. It is part of the American Hospital Association’s Health Research & Educational Trust (HRET).

“I’m very proud of the work that has been happening in your hospitals,” said Betsy Lee, Director of the Indiana Patient Safety Center. “Thank you for your collective commitment to making deep, system-level changes that are creating lasting improvements. I’m grateful that you have joined us in making Indiana the safest place to receive health care in the U.S., if not the world.”

Improvements have been made possible through the implementation of proven best practices and lessons learned through the use of webinars, educational sessions and other training opportunities. The Coalition for Care Hospital Engagement Network provides technical assistance so health care facilities can achieve quality measurement goals. It has also implemented a system to track and monitor progress in meeting these goals.

Putnam County Hospital was awarded certificates in eight applicable categories for reducing or attaining the Partnership for Patients improvement targets. Additionally, program attendees selected PCH to received first place for “Outstanding Achievement in Harm Across the Board” which recognizes a global impact to organizational work in improving care. Furthermore, Putnam County Hospital Quality Coordinator, Annette Handy, RN was one of three Indiana hospital quality team leaders who participated in a panel discussion sharing experiences and lessons learned.

“We have a lot to celebrate and be proud of,” Lee said. “We’ve come a long way but we still have work to do in terms of sustainability.”