Allegheny Health Network's Monroeville surgery center earns patient safety award

Allegheny Health Network’s Monroeville Ambulatory Surgery Center has been recognized with a 2022 safety award by the Patient Safety Authority, an independent state agency which collects reports of patient safety events from Pennsylvania health care facilities.

Pennsylvania is the only state that requires health care facilities to report all incidents of harm or potential for harm.

AHN’s Monroeville Ambulatory Surgery Center earned Patient Safety Authority’s 2022 “I Am” Patient Safety Award, which recognize programs that demonstrate innovation, impact, sustainability and scalability as well as inclusion of the patient in the initiative.

Early last year, AHN orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Greg Purnell identified a problem that he and his fellow surgeons were encountering with the wound-closure products they were using following surgical procedures.

“They felt there was a quality issue with the performance of the products, and Dr. Frank Costa, our medical director agreed,” said Karen Maloney, AHN’s vice president of network ambulatory surgery centers.

Once Jesse Hixson, Director of Nursing for the AHN Monroeville Ambulatory Surgery Center learned about the problem, he launched an expansive survey of surgeons across AHN and found that many from various facilities were experiencing similar issues. When the problem was brought to the attention of leadership, Maloney said the network moved to a new brand of suture that has proven to be problem-free.

“Thanks to Dr. Purnell’s and Jesse’s vigilance and commitment to the safety of our patients, this issue was identified, confirmed, then swiftly resolved,” said Maloney. “Together, they exemplify the culture across the AHN Ambulatory Surgery Centers, with every team member playing a critical role in helping to drive safe, high-quality patient care — doctors, nurses and everyone who works here in any capacity.”

AHN is one of 10 health care networks statewide recognized by the authority with “I Am” awards this year.

“Patients who entrust their surgical care to AHN have the right to expect they will receive it in the safest manner possible, and our (surgery center) staff treat that expectation with great respect,” said Dr. Sricharan Chalikonda, chief of clinical operations and chair of the Surgical Institute at AHN. “They are very deserving of this award and should be proud of the outstanding work they do and the difference they make in the lives of our patients.”

Established under the Medical Care Availability and Reduction of Error (MCARE) Act of 2002, the PSA, an independent state agency, collects and analyzes patient safety data to improve safety outcomes and help prevent patient harm.

For more, see PatientSafety.PA.gov.