PLYMOUTH MEETING, PA — The Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) recently announced the recipients of the 26th Annual Cheers Awards, a prestigious recognition honoring those who have shown exceptional dedication to reducing adverse events and infection exposure in healthcare. The awards ceremony is set to take place on Tuesday, December 5, 2023, at the House of Blues in Anaheim, CA.
This year’s speaker will be RaDonda Vaught, a former nurse prosecuted for her role in a fatal medication error in one of the highest-profile healthcare-related criminal cases in recent years. The event will also recognize a Lifetime Award Winner who has dedicated her career to supporting practitioners involved in accidental errors that harm patients.
Among the winners of this year’s ISMP Cheers Awards are Boston Medical Center and Corewell Health, both of which have set new standards in medication safety.
Boston Medical Center’s Medication Safety and Quality Committee is being honored for its successful implementation of barcode medication administration (BCMA) and positive patient identification (PPID) in ambulatory care settings. This move aligns with the 2023-2024 ISMP Targeted Medication Safety Best Practices for Hospitals’ call for expanding BCMA beyond inpatient areas. The center achieved a compliance rate of 98% and averted numerous close calls, particularly in identifying the correct patient when siblings were in the same exam room requiring immunizations.
Corewell Health Medication Safety Team is being recognized for its innovative approach to eliminating inadvertent infection exposure with patient-specific scanning of multi-use insulin pens. Over three years, the team developed an automated process that prints patient-specific barcode labels applied to multi-use medications on the nursing unit. Since implementation, Corewell Health West has had zero patient exposures, marking a significant achievement in patient safety.
The ISMP Cheers Awards celebrate the efforts of individuals, organizations, and companies dedicated to improving medication safety and setting a standard of excellence in healthcare. The achievements of Boston Medical Center and Corewell Health reflect the ongoing commitment to patient safety and the continual pursuit of innovative solutions in the healthcare industry.
For the latest news on everything happening in Chester County and the surrounding area, be sure to follow MyChesCo on Google News and MSN.