Weingart to be honored with 2012 John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Award

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The National Quality Forum (NQF) and The Joint Commission will recognize Saul N. Weingart, MD, PhD, vice president for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, as a 2012 recipient of the annual John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Award. The award will be presented during the 2013 NQF Annual Conference and Membership Meeting in Washington, DC, on March 8.

The patient safety awards program, launched in 2002 by NQF and The Joint Commission, honors John M. Eisenberg, MD, former administrator of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Eisenberg was a passionate advocate for patient safety and health care quality, and personally led AHRQ's grant program to support patient safety research.

Weingart is being honored for his longstanding commitment and national contributions to patient safety through publication, education, research and leadership. Examples of his many accomplishments include creation of the Harvard Executive Session on Medical Error; extensive research in understanding the role that patients and families can play in advancing patient safety; leading multiple operational improvement projects, including implementation of medication best practices in general hospitals and cancer care; development of one of the earliest medication reconciliation programs; and creation of novel curricula in patient safety and online patient safety courses.

In addition to his position at Dana-Farber, Weingart is an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and chair of the board of governors of the National Patient Safety Foundation.

The NQF and the Joint Commission also will recognize Kaiser Permanente, Oakland, Calif., and Memorial Hermann Healthcare System, Houston, for innovation in patient safety and quality at the national level.

"I congratulate all three recipients for their commitment to safe and high-quality health care," said Mark R. Chassin, MD, FACP, MPP, MPH, president, The Joint Commission. "With organizations like Kaiser and Memorial Hermann, and individuals such as Dr. Weingart leading the way, we are slowly but surely seeing the transformation of the American health care system to one where more and more organizations are making dramatic progress toward the ultimate goal of zero patient harm."

"The Eisenberg Awards serve as an important reminder of what health care should strive to be at all times — safe, effective, and focused on providing patient-centered care," said Gerald Shea, interim president and CEO, NQF. "We congratulate this year's recipients for their continued contributions in the field and for the impact their successes will continue to have on raising the standard of care in our nation."


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