With ever-increasing economic challenges and the ongoing threat of budget cuts facing health care organizations, now is the time to invest in cost-saving, patient- and family-centered strategies that will produce measureable outcomes for your hospital or health system. The 4th International Conference on Patient- and Family-Centered Care: Partnerships for Quality and Safety, August 17-19, in Philadelphia, Pa, offers more than 90 timely, cutting-edge sessions that will help you develop important initiatives to save money for your organization and yield positive outcomes for safety, quality, and experience of care. The conference will highlight partnerships with patients and families at all levels of health care. 

Here is a sampling of sessions to whet your appetite:

•    The Business Case for Family-Centered Maternity Care: Family-Centered Maternity Care is a viable business strategy to maintain and expand patient volumes, reduce health care costs, and improve health outcomes for families. Learn from internationally recognized expert, Celeste Phillips, how to build the business case for administrators, boards, leadership, volunteers, and donors.

•    A Strategic Partnership Between Family-Centered Care and Quality Improvement: Learn about the strategic partnership in a pediatric hospital between the Departments of Family-Centered Care and Quality Improvement to improve the discharge process, and hear about organizational benefits and project outcomes.

•    Benchmarking Patient- and Family-Centered Care: Presenters will share findings, data, strategies, and metrics from a University Health System Consortium Patient- and Family-Centered Care benchmarking study with 26 academic medical centers, with a focus on quality of care.

•    Driving Organizational Strategies Through Patient- and Family-Driven Partnerships: Learn how MCG, in its effort to drive cultural change, is developing business goals in partnership with patients, families, and physicians.

•    Patient- and Family-Centered Care (PFCC)—The Impact on Patient Safety and Satisfaction: A comparison study of intensive care units reveals that PFCC has a positive effect on performance measures and patient and family satisfaction, and patients experience fewer complications and safety issues on units where PFCC is universal.

Examples of other offerings include: presentations on patient-centered medical homes—a model of care to improve health outcomes and strengthen the U.S. health care system; use of computer and telecommunications technology and electronic health records; impact of patient- and family-centered rounds on patient safety, patient and family satisfaction, interdisciplinary care team performance, and medical education; and strategies to improve patient safety and quality of care.

See the Conference Brochure for a complete listing of sessions and more information about the Conference. CEU Credits are available.

Conference Registration

The Institute is delighted to introduce you to the Plenary Speakers at the upcoming 4th International Conference on Patient- and Family-Centered Care. This group brings a wealth of experience and diversity of perspectives to what promises to be a very exciting and energizing meeting. We hope to see you there!

Juliette Schlucter is a Project Consultant for Family-Centered Care at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), and a Parent Leader. Juliette—who is a speaker and trainer—helped to create the Family Faculty at CHOP and founded Partners for Excellence, a workshop to teach parents about using health care resources effectively. Juliette is the recipient of the... READ MORE

Dan Ford is Vice President of the Furst Group, a health care executive search firm. A long-time health care recruiting executive, Dan became a public advocate for patient safety. As the result of his family’s experience of medical error, he began to speak out to raise awareness of patient safety within the medical community. Audiences include physician staff and board members from health systems, hospitals and risk management groups, quality and patient safety executives, medical group managers, and other health care providers. Dan serves on a number of quality, patient safety, and patient- and family-centered care committees nationally and regionally. Dan participated in the World Health... READ MORE 

M. Chris Gibbons is an Associate Director of the Johns Hopkins Urban Health Institute and an Assistant Professor at the Johns Hopkins University Schools of Medicine and Public Health in Baltimore, MD. He advises state and federal agencies and policymakers in urban health, eHealth, minority health, and health care disparities. Chris is leading a Systematic Evidence Review on the impact of Consumer Health Informatics Applications for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and was named a Health Disparities Scholar by the National Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities at the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Gibbons is currently... READ MORE

Richard Scholtz is a Community Partner in Reimagining Health Care in Bellingham, Washington. Following open-heart surgery before he was 40, Richard became a patient advocate and advisor, working to change and improve the delivery of health care. Richard served on a Patient and Family Advisory Council and helped to develop the Shared Care Plan—a secure web-based, patient-owned medical record that lets patients share up-to-date information with their health care teams. Richard chaired... READ MORE

Sorrel King, Patient Safety Advocate and President/Co-Founder, Josie King Foundation, is a heroic figure in the health care movement. She co-founded the Josie King Foundation, a not-for-profit organization aimed at increasing patient safety and eliminating medical errors. Sorrel’s book, Josie’s Story ~ A Mother’s Inspiring Crusade to Make Medical Care Safe, with an official release date of September 8, 2009, will be available at the Conference for a pre-release book signing on Monday, August 17. Sorrel is Wednesday’s closing plenary speaker where she will share the story of Josie’s death and the patient- and family-centered safety programs that the Foundation has since sponsored in Josie’s name. In the fall, Sorrel will start a 20-city book tour that will include appearances on national TV, such as the Today show.

2009 American Hospital Association-McKesson Quest for Quality Prize®

Congratulations to Institute Pinwheel Champion, Bronson Methodist Hospital, of the Bronson Healthcare Group! Bronson Methodist is the recipient of the 2009 AHA-McKesson Quest for Quality Prize. Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo, Michigan was selected by a multi-disciplinary committee of health care quality and patient safety experts based on its culture of quality and efforts to achieve the Institute of Medicine's six quality aims for health care.

The American Hospital Association-McKesson Quest for Quality Prize is presented annually to honor leadership and innovation in quality, safety, and commitment to patient care. The criteria for the 2009 award include the demonstration of an organizational commitment to achieving the Institute of Medicine's six quality aims: safety, patient-centeredness, effectiveness, efficiency, timeliness, and equity. One goal of the award is to honor organizations that are making progress in quality improvement on all six aims and that offer models that can be replicated by others in the hospital field. Key elements that have stood out among the current and past honorees include recognizing that organizational leadership is critical, that what is measured is what gets attention, and that patient and family involvement is integral to quality improvement.
 
Bronson, a Baldrige Award winner and past AHA-McKesson Quest for Quality Citation honoree, demonstrates its hospital-wide commitment to quality improvement. It engages all staff members—from hospital leadership to front-line caregivers—in efforts to improve patient-centered care, timeliness, efficiency, and effectiveness. Bronson encourages patients and their families to talk with doctors, nurses, and other caregivers about the care a patient receives, knowing that patient- and family-centered care is critical to improving quality. Employees are encouraged to speak out if they have concerns about care and staff members receive the support and assistance necessary to improve care. Bronson actively involves patients and family members on hospital committees and teams that focus on improving patient care. Multidisciplinary teams review patient care practices and identify opportunities for improvement, which reinforces personal and organizational commitment and accountability to care improvement.

And congratulations to another Pinwheel Champion, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), Boston, Massachusetts, which was named as the finalist for the American Hospital Association-McKesson Quest for Quality Prize.

BIDMC's goal of eliminating all preventable harm by 2012, emphasizes leadership and transparency to help the hospital move toward that important goal. BIDMC's strong values of reliability, safety, effectiveness, patient-centeredness and equity are reinforced throughout the organization. BIDMC focuses on individual accountability as a way to improve care. Staff members are encouraged to identify areas for quality and improvement, and Beth Israel provides training and follow-up to help ensure sustained care improvement. Developing strong community relationships and being accountable to its community are an integral part of BIDMC's approach to improving care. The leadership team is committed to complete transparency with the community and shares information with the public on patient safety and quality improvement issues.

Review the new 2010 AHA Quest for Quality Prize criteria and consider applying for this prestigious honor.

100 Most Wired Hospitals and Health Systems and the U.S. News & World Report's "Honor Roll"

The July 2009 issue of Hospitals & Health Networks (H&HN) released the list of 100 Most Wired Hospitals and Health Systems. This year's survey asked hospitals how they use information technology to address five key areas: safety and quality, customer service, business processes, workforce, and public health and safety. Check to see which ten of the Institute’s Pinwheel Sponsors are on the 2009 list of Health Care’s 100 Most Wired.

The annual U.S. News & World Report ranking of the country's elite medical centers is a tool for patients who need medical sophistication most facilities cannot offer. Unlike other rankings and ratings that grade hospitals on how well they execute routine procedures, the U.S. News & World Report approach looks at how well a hospital handles complex and demanding situations. This is the 20th year for the America’s Best Hospitals ranking. Johns Hopkins Hospital tops the list, as it has every year since 1991. See the 2009-2010 Honor Roll. Also check out the separate rankings for the Best Children’s Hospitals.

Five of the top 16 hospitals on the America’s Best Hospitals Honor Roll, and six of the ten on the Honor Roll of Children’s Hospitals, are Institute Pinwheel Sponsors. Congratulations to all on the lists!

Networking opportunities at The 4th International Conference abound. Conference registration includes a continental breakfast Monday-Wednesday, and lunch vouchers for Monday and Tuesday that can be redeemed in the Exhibit Hall. Guest badges are available. Opportunities for networking over meals, and other events, are described below.

Sunday, August 16

2:00-5:00 pm—Tour of The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Cost: $12 for bus transportation. Please pre-register.

Monday, August 17

4:45-6:30 pm— Welcome Reception. Join colleagues for this social gathering in the Exhibit Hall. Guest badge is available. (Light hors d’oeuvres/Cash bar).

4:45 pm—Pre-Release Book Signing of Josie’s Story by Sorrel King. Sorrel is co-founder of the Josie King Foundation, a not-for-profit organization aimed at increasing patient safety and eliminating medical errors. At Wednesday’s closing plenary, Sorrel will share the story of Josie’s death and the patient- and family-centered safety programs that the Foundation has sponsored in Josie’s name.

5:00-6:00 pm—Peer Support Interest Group Gathering. Meet informally with experienced peer support program leaders from Parent to Parent USA (P2P USA). This is open to those representing adult health care as well.

6:30 pm—Informal Networking Dinner, McGillin’s Olde Ale House. Join conference colleagues for this casual dinner at one of Philadelphia’s oldest Taverns, opened the year Lincoln was elected President! Named as one of 14 ‘coolest’ Taverns by Gourmet magazine, this evening features an open bar and a hot and cold buffet. McGillin’s is within walking distance from the hotel. Cost: $25 (includes buffet/open bar/tax and gratuities). Please pre-register.

Tuesday, August 18

7:00-8:00 am—Networking Continental Breakfast for Patient and Family Leaders. This informal breakfast is a great opportunity to connect with other patient and family leaders.
 
12:45-1:45 pm—Lunch Grab and Gab. Similar to the Peer Support Interest Group Gathering on Monday, grab your lunch and meet with others who share your interest in peer support.
 
6:30 pm—Informal Networking Dinner, McGillin’s Olde Ale House. See description above under Monday.

Wednesday, August 19
 
12:30-1:45—Lunch & Learn…An International Experience.
A Conversation with Margaret Murphy: Enhancing Quality and Safety through Partnerships in Ireland and Around the World. Margaret Murphy is an international patient safety advocate and member of the Steering Group of Patients for Patient Safety Strand, World Health Organization (WHO) World Alliance for Patient Safety. Margaret is from Cork, Ireland and shares her tragic, yet inspiring story, to make health care safe for all individuals. Cost: $50. Please pre-register.

Share Resources at the Conference

Presenters and attendees are invited to bring patient- and family-centered documents to share. Visit the Resource-Network Room to peruse the materials.

Reminder to Conference Presenters to Submit Session Materials

Conference presenters are encouraged to include handout materials or Powerpoint® presentations on the Institute's Live Learning Center. Please submit session materials to LeAndria at lstreeter@iffcc.org as soon as possible. Presenters and registered participants may access the conference session materials that are posted on the Institute’s Live Learning Center.

Attendees: Take the International Conference Home With You!

Access conference presentations on digital media—whenever you want—captured live at the Conference and available online via the Live Learning Center, downloadable MP3 files, or on MP3 CD-Rom set.

Pre-order the Full Conference Set Online or on MP3 CD-Rom for the discounted rate of $99. Purchases on-site at the Conference are only $159. After the conference, the Full Conference Set Online and MP3 CD-Rom set will be available for $259.

Institute's Cezanne Garcia Receives Award

Congratulations to Cezanne Garcia, a Senior Program and Resource Specialist for the Institute for Family-Centered Care. On June 4, 2009, Cezanne received the Membership Leadership award from the Pacific Northwest Society of Public Health Education for her "warm-spirited leadership, many contributions to and dedicated promotion of the field of health education at both local and national levels.”