Eliminating perioperative adverse events at Ascension Health.

Background: For Ascension Health's Healthcare That Is Safe strategy, Sacred Heart Hospital (SHH) and Columbia St. Mary's (CSM) served as alpha sites to develop strategies to eliminate perioperative adverse events (POAEs). The alpha sites set an interim goal of a 50% reduction of POAEs, then 100%, or elimination of POAEs by July 2008.

Eliminating birth trauma at Ascension Health.

Background: Ascension Health identified perinatal safety as one of eight priorities for action in a systemwide effort to achieve zero preventable injuries and deaths by July 2008.

Implementation: Three alpha sites developed and implemented transformational practices aimed at eliminating preventable birth trauma. Standardized order sets linked to all major areas of obstetrical care were either updated or developed and then tested and incorporated into the work flow of the labor and delivery units.