| For Immediate Release | For more information contact: |
| January 30, 2002 | Jessie Roos (651-296-9719) |
St. Paul -- State Representative Carl Jacobson (R-Vadnais Heights) recently received the "2001 Patient Safety Leader" award from the Minnesota Hospital and Healthcare Partnership (MHHP). The award was given to Representative Jacobson in a ceremony at St. John's Hospital in Maplewood on January 17.
MHHP recognized Jacobson for his leadership on patient safety legislation during the 2001 Legislative Session. Jacobson was the chief author and ensured passage of House File 1081, a groundbreaking law that allows hospitals, doctors and health care professionals from across the state to share patient safety information. The new law enables health practitioners to collaborate through a Web-based registry to share information.
The new law changes the Minnesota Peer Review Statute, which previously focused on learning from medical errors, but inhibited the open exchange of information from one hospital to another because of fear of litigation.
"Representative Jacobson fought to improve patient safety in Minnesota during the last legislative session," said Bruce Rueben, President of MHHP. "The new law will help hospitals provide an enhanced level of care
to their patients."
MHHP has developed the Web-based patient safety registry where health care personnel can learn from best practices of their colleagues by sharing information through the Internet. MHHP is conducting a trial run of the registry now, and expects it to be rolled-out to all Minnesota hospitals by early next year. St. John's Hospital is expected to participate in the
registry.
Bob Beck, M.D., Medical Director at St. John's Hospital, presented the award to Jacobson.
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"On behalf of St. John's, we would like to thank Representative Jacobson for his introduction and passage of this new law that enhances patient safety and health care quality in Minnesota's hospitals. This initiative is important to us." Beck said.
The Minnesota Hospital and Healthcare Partnership is a trade association representing Minnesota's 141 hospitals and 20 health care systems.
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