The Department of Defense (DoD) Military Health System (MHS) has signed on to be a participant in the Partnership for Patients: Better Care, Lower Costs. This partnership is aimed at helping to improve the quality, safety, and affordability of health care for all Americans. The Partnership for Patients brings together leaders of major hospitals, employers, physicians, nurses, and patient advocates along with state and federal governments in a shared effort to make hospital care safer, more reliable, and less costly.
The two goals of this new partnership are to:
- Keep patients from getting injured or sicker. By the end of 2013, preventable hospital-acquired conditions would decrease by 40% compared to 2010. Achieving this goal would mean approximately 1.8 million fewer injuries to patients with more than 60,000 lives saved over three years.
- Help patients heal without complication. By the end of 2013, preventable complications during a transition from one care setting to another would be decreased so that all hospital readmissions would be reduced by 20% compared to 2010. Achieving this goal would mean more than 1.6 million patients would recover from illness without suffering a preventable complication requiring re-hospitalization within 30 days of discharge.
Achieving these goals will save lives and prevent injuries to millions of Americans, this will help put our nation on the path toward a more sustainable health care system. Click here for more information, and/or here to view the Partnership for Patients - Frequently Asked Questions.
The Military Health System pledges to work to attain the goals of the Partnership for Patients initiative by building on work already under way, and supporting local initiatives, to improve the quality of care. The Military Health System looks forward to working with public and private health care organizations committed to reducing preventable patient harm. Click here to view a memorandum from Lt Gen Charles Green, Air Force Surgeon General regarding the Air Force's support and commitment for Partnership for Patients.
Partnership for Patients Learning Opportunities
DoD Patient Safety Program Learning Opportunities
Commanders Patient Safety Forum: The Transformation of American Healthcare, Positioning the Department of Defense to Lead the Nation presented by Paul McGann, MD and Dennis Wagner, Co-Directors, Partnership for Patients.
Patient Safety Learning Circle: Air Force Discussion on the Partnership for Patients.
National Quality Forum
National Priorities Partnership Patient Safety Webinar Series.
Partnership for Patients Progress Updates
May
Partnership for Patients campaign efforts continue to accelerate in the DoD, as the PfP working group develops evidence-based practice and measurement protocols for each of the nine harm categories and readmissions... Read More
April
Over the past few months, representatives from the patient safety and clinical quality divisions across Army, Navy and Air Force, Joint Task Force National Capital Region Medical Command, and Tricare Management Activity have been engaged in developing an... Read more
Announcing the Partnership for Patients: Better Care, Lower Costs
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and CMS Administrator Dr. Donald Berwick join consumer groups, industry representatives, and other key health care stakeholders to announce a significant new partnership aimed at improving health care quality under the Affordable Care Act.
Introducing the Partnership for Patients with Sorrel King
Patient safety advocate, Sorrel King, talks about the Partnership for Patients and the loss of her child due to medical errors. This new HHS initiative aims to reduce preventable injuries by 40% and cut hospital readmissions by 20% over the next three years.