HHS partners with hospitals to improve patient safety

HHS announced today a national collaboration between the federal government, hospitals, physicians, nurse groups and community organizations to improve patient safety. The initiative, Partnership for Patients, aims to save more than 60,000 lives and up to $35 billion in healthcare costs over the next three years by reducing hospital-acquired conditions and readmissions caused by bad care.

"Americans go the hospital to get well, but millions of patients are injured because of preventable complications and accidents," Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in a statement. "Working closely with hospitals, doctors, nurses, patients, families and employers, we will support efforts to help keep patients safe, improve care, and reduce costs. Working together, we can help eliminate preventable harm to patients."

The main objectives are to shrink hospital-acquired conditions by 40 percent and hospital readmissions by 20 percent within three years.

Under the partnership, HHS would invest up to $1 billion in federal funding through the Affordable Care Act. Today, the Community-based Care Transitions Program has already made $500 million of that funding available, the agency said.

"Through strong partnerships at national, regional, state and local levels--including the public sector and some of the nation's largest companies--we are supporting the hospital community to significantly reduce harm to patients," noted CMS Administrator Donald Berwick.

So far, more than 500 hospitals, care givers, consumer groups and employers have pledged their commitment to the new initiative.

For more:
- read the HHS press release
- read the Associated Press article