NUMC’S DIALYSIS PROGRAM RECOGNIZED AS FIVE DIAMOND PATIENT SAFETY FACILITY BY IPRO’S END STAGE RENAL DISEASE PATIENT SAFETY INITIATIVE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 1, 2012

PRESS CONTACT:
Shelley Lotenberg
shelley@numc.edu
516-572-6055

NUMC’S DIALYSIS PROGRAM RECOGNIZED AS FIVE DIAMOND PATIENT SAFETY FACILITY BY IPRO’S END STAGE RENAL DISEASE PATIENT SAFETY INITIATIVE

East Meadow, NY…..Arthur A. Gianelli, President/CEO of the NuHealth System, announced that the Nassau University Medical Center’s dialysis program has been recognized as a “Five Diamond Patient Safety Facility” by the IPRO End-Stage Renal Disease Network (ESRD) of New York, with NUMC being one of 18 facilities obtaining Five Diamond status out of a total of 243 facilities in the network, with only 25% of New York State dialysis facilities active in the 5 diamond program as of April 2012. The Five Diamond approach to patient safety assists dialysis facilities to improve both staff and patient awareness of specific patient safety areas, promotes patient safety values and builds a culture of patient safety in every dialysis facility.
 

IPRO is a national organization that provides a full spectrum of healthcare assessment and improvement services to foster a more efficient use of resources and enhance quality to achieve better outcomes. End-stage renal disease is a failure of the kidneys to function. Hemodialysis is a treatment that to some degree replaces the role of the kidneys. It removes toxins and excess fluid from the blood.
 

“We are proud that the dialysis program at NUMC is being recognized by the IPRO End-Stage Renal Disease   Network of NY as a “Five Diamond Patient Safety Facility” for participating in the “Five Diamond Approach to Patient Safety Program” and for maintaining high standards of care for end-stage renal patients,” said Gianelli. “Congratulations to the dialysis staff for working so diligently to better implement patient safety principles among both patients and staff.”

NUMC received five diamonds out of five diamonds for participating in the patient safety initiative. Staff successfully completed five modules to earn the “Five Diamond” status, which includes patient safety principles, emergency preparedness, medication reconciliation, hand hygiene and influenza vaccination.

Steven J. Walerstein, MD, FACP, NuHealth’s executive vice president for medical affairs and medical director, added: “Congratulations to the dialysis staff for achieving this significant recognition and for their commitment to patient safety. It is important for a dialysis unit to incorporate patient safety on a day to day basis and to help promote patient safety values throughout the institution, helping to lead to better quality of care and outcomes for all our patients.”

The chief of nephrology at NUMC, Leah Balsam, MD, added her congratulations to the dialysis staff who has kept up with medication reconciliation on all patients on a regular basis: “We are very excited to achieve this recognition from the ERSD network and are committed to pursue and maintain Five Diamond status. It is a well-deserved honor for our dialysis division staff that has consistently demonstrated a commitment to patient safety.”

ABOUT NUHEALTH
NuHealth is a Long Island health care organization delivering essential medical care and disease and lifestyle management to everyone at every stage of life.  Also known as Nassau Health Care Corporation, NuHealth is a public benefit corporation managing the operations of Nassau Medical Center, A. Holly Patterson Extended Care and a network of Family Health Centers that bring primary and specialty care out into the community.  By emphasizing wellness, cultural sensitivity and collaborative efforts with the North Shore-LIJ Health System, NuHealth is working to make good care more affordable and easier to access.
For more information about NuHealth or its Centers of Care, visit www.nuhealth.net.