COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — Bassett Medical Center has been named a Center of Excellence in Surgical Safety by the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN), which represents more than 200,000 surgical nurses across the country. Bassett Medical Center is one of the first hospitals in the nation to earn the designation as a Center of Excellence […]
COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — Bassett Medical Center has been named a Center of Excellence in Surgical Safety by the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN), which represents more than 200,000 surgical nurses across the country.
Bassett Medical Center is one of the first hospitals in the nation to earn the designation as a Center of Excellence in Surgical Safety: Prevention of RSI (retained surgical items), according to a Bassett Healthcare Network news release. The award recognizes that Bassett has adopted new practices in its continued safe care of surgical patients after successfully completing the months-long comprehensive, evidence-based program.
“The importance of ongoing, evidence-based education for Bassett’s surgical teams cannot be overstated,” Staci Thompson, executive VP and COO at Bassett, said in the release. “Continually enhancing our skills and practices is an essential element of our responsibility to our patients.”
The designation recognizes Bassett Medical Center for its commitment to reducing the risk of surgical errors by advancing the education of its surgical-team members in the prevention and consequences of unintentional RSI. The education raises awareness of factors that lead to RSIs, uses scenario-based immersive technology to improve skills, and helps teams mitigate risks and improve outcomes.
Unintentionally retained surgical items refer to any surgical sponge, instrument, tool, or device that is unintentionally left in a patient at the completion of a surgery or other procedure. The Joint Commission, the standards setting and accrediting body in health care, has identified RSI as the “most common sentinel event in surgical or invasive procedures.” A sentinel event is a health-care procedure that results in death, permanent harm, or severe temporary harm for the patient, according to The Joint Commission.
“We are very proud of our surgical team at Bassett Medical Center for obtaining this award,” Angela Belmont, senior VP and chief nursing executive, said. “It demonstrates the dedication of the team to reduce risks in the operating room. This is a testament to Bassett’s commitment to the highest level of patient safety.”
“As surgical procedures continue to advance and medical research reveals new methods to improve surgical patient safety practices, it is imperative that facilities and practitioners adapt their practice in the interest of patient safety,” AORN Executive Director/CEO Linda Groah said. “This Center of Excellence for Surgical Safety designation shows the community they can depend on the quality of care provided at Bassett Medical Center.”
Bassett Healthcare Network is an integrated health system that provides care and services to people living in a 5,600-square-mile region in upstate New York.
