Newsbrief_September 2019

St. Claire HealthCare’s
Proactive Risk Team
Campaign Educates Patients and Visitors
on the Importance of Patient Identifiers
Do you get tired of being asked for
your name and date of birth over and
over when at your doctor’s office or
during a visit to the hospital? We know
it can be frustrating, but patient safety
is our priority!
When we talk about patient safety at
St. Claire HealthCare, we’re talking
about how we protect our patients
from avoidable errors, injuries,
accidents, and infections. In our
continued efforts to make sure our
patients are safe, the Proactive Risk
Team launched a new campaign to
educate patients and visitors about the
importance of continually verifying
each patient’s name and date of birth
throughout their visit.
Two-factor authentication, such
as name and date of birth, is the
industry standard for verifying patient
identity. The two identifiers must be
directly associated with the patient
and the medication, blood product,
specimen container (attached label),
treatment, or procedure. In addition
to policy and process enhancements to
reinforce this standard, posters have
been strategically placed throughout
SCH facilities to educate patients and
visitors about patient identifiers.
“Patients play a critical role in
ensuring that the care they receive
is safe,” said Tamara Brandenburg,
Risk Manager/Patient Safety
Officer/Privacy Officer. “If
possible, patients should confirm
the accuracy of their wristbands.
They may also be asked to confirm
the accuracy of their information
on the registrar’s computer screen
when they register. If our patients
have any concerns that their
identity wasn’t properly verified,
we want them to speak up.”
Phelan Bailey, MSN, APRN*
Administrative Director of Emergency Services
Tamara Brandenburg
Manager, Risk/Patient Safety
Donna Fannin*
Administrative Director Laboratory
Amanda Francis*
Patient Registration Lead
Randa Hall, BSN, RN-BC
Clinical Nurse Educator
Heather Harris
Lab Systems Analyst/Office Manager
Kayla Harrison
Nursing Professional Development Coordinator/
Patient Representative
Michael Helphinstine
Administrative Director of Diagnostic Imaging
Hannah Mayse, RDN, LD
Aramark, Director of Food Services
McKenna Spence
Manager, Patient Experience & Clinical Support
Jon Nicole Tate, BSN, RN
Nurse Manager-Maternity
*Not pictured.
Patient safety is the cornerstone of
high-quality health care. So when
patients ask why their identity is
confirmed so often, SCH staff should
always explain that it is done to
ensure the right care is provided to the
right patient all the time.
8 | www.st-claire.org/newsbrief