HR Pulse - Spring 2008 - (Page 30) Philadelphia Chapter Spearheads Patient Safety Effort A Case Study in HR Leadership By Joseph Micucci he specter of Charles Cullen—the critical care registered nurse who claims to have killed as many as 40 patients—is one that haunts hospitals here in Pennsylvania and across the country. The question on everyone’s mind is this: How can we prevent this kind of nightmare from happening again? In the wake of Cullen’s deadly spree, the members of the Philadelphia and Suburban Health care Human Resources Association (PASHHRA) decided to exercise their personal, community, and business leadership skills by collaborating with other health care groups to increase patient safety in hospitals throughout the state. 30 HR Pulse Spring 2008 T As Cullen moved from hospital to hospital throughout his career, HR departments dutifully conducted their obligatory reference checks. Following the guidance of their attorneys, these hospitals gave out his name, date of hire, the position he held as a registered nurse, and his date of termination. Every hospital probably provided identical information as he moved from place to place, leaving dead patients behind. When Cullen was finally apprehended, the local and national news media covered the story extensively. During a “60 Minutes” episode, reporter Morley Safer stated that it appears “… they [hospitals] are more concerned with lawsuits than they are about patient care.” Shortly after the program aired, members of PASHHRA determined that they needed to take decisive action to promote legislation that would help prevent future tragedies. Pushing the Legislature Given the complexity of passing new laws, the members knew that it would take a collaborative effort to accomplish this ambitious goal. In Pennsylvania, there are many obstacles to overcome in changing legislation. The fact that the neighboring states of New Jersey and Delaware were moving or had moved to better systems gave PASHHRA members hope that something could be done to better protect patients in Pennsylvania. A major resource for health care institutions in Pennsylvania is the Hospital and Healthcare Association of Pennsylvania (HAP). As the premier state health care legislative advocate, it was important to connect with HAP for help in approaching the legislature. Kathleen Mebus, HAP’s vice president for state legislation, identified three “streams” that must come together:
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