Independence Blue Cross will extend its support for the Partnership for Patient Care, a quality and patient safety effort led by southeastern Pennsylvania hospitals, with $3 million in funding through 2011.
The funding will be provided to the Health Care Improvement Foundation, a nonprofit health and safety organization that oversees the partnership's projects. Matching funds will be raised from the hospital community in 2009 to accelerate the implementation of evidence-based clinical practices.
"The Partnership for Patient Care unites healthcare professionals with a common goal to make healthcare safer for everybody," said Joseph A. Frick, Independence Blue Cross' president and chief executive officer. "It also reaffirms the fact that when many different stakeholders work together as one the quality of care for all can only improve."
Launched in 2006 with IBC's three-year financial support of $1.25 million, the partnership initially focused on the prevention of hospital-acquired infections. Nearly every area hospital has participated in partnership initiatives that promote the use of evidence-based best practices to improve the quality and safety of healthcare.
A 2003 hospital effort, supported by IBC, to improve medication safety at area hospitals became a nationally recognized model for enhancing the quality of patient care.
"We are convinced this initiative will continue to provide our members with access to the highest level of care and we are proud to be a catalyst for these improvements," said Frick. "We also commend our hospital partners for their meaningful and collaborative participation in an effort that addresses serious threats to people's health."
The PPC is working on several projects, including preventing pressure ulcers and raising awareness about antibiotic-resistant staph infections through a new campaign called Students Fight MRSA. Future initiatives will be centered on helping hospitals foster "high reliability" healthcare - the consistent delivery of safe, high-quality care that delivers the best possible experience for all patients.
Depending on the nature of the problem, safety improvements could take many forms, including staff education, new equipment or technology, revised safety practices or enhanced measurement and accountability. Through this process, hospitals will develop long-term cultural and systemic changes to assure safety, rather than focusing on short-term initiatives that target narrow issues.