April 1, 2009
Roseville,
CA
White Memorial Medical Center Enhances Surgery Safety Measures
White Memorial Medical Center has implemented a surgery safety measures checklist shown to lower surgery-related deaths. As part of a new committee that is tracking and implementing surgical safety improvements, the hospital has launched the new surgical safety checklist recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). The checklist identifies three phases of an operation, each corresponding to a specific period in the normal flow of work. In each phase, the checklist prompts open discussion and agreement by caregivers that the critical safety steps are completed before proceeding with an operation. In addition, potential issues are pre-planned such as expectations for prolonged surgery, potential for difficult intubation or excessive blood loss.
