The Joint Commission and National Quality Forum Announce 2022 Eisenberg Award Recipients

(OAKBROOK TERRACE, Illinois, and WASHINGTON, DC, January 24, 2023) – The Joint Commission and National Quality Forum (NQF) today announced the recipients of the 2022 John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Awards. The Eisenberg Awards recognize major achievements by individuals and organizations to improve patient safety and healthcare quality.

 Each year, awards are presented for individual achievement, national-level innovation, and local-level innovation. This year’s awardees made advancements related to medical errors in health information technology (IT), significantly reduced rates of critical events related to anesthesia, and connected mothers with important postpartum care. They are:

• Individual Achievement: Jason S. Adelman, MD, MS, chief patient safety officer and associate chief quality officer; executive director, Center for Patient Safety Research; director, Patient Safety Research Fellowship, Columbia University Irving Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian; associate professor of medicine (in biomedical informatics) and vice chair for quality and patient safety, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons
• National Level Innovation in Patient Safety and Quality: Anesthesia Risk Alerts Program – North American Partners in Anesthesia (NAPA)
• Local Level Innovation in Patient Safety and Quality: Improving Maternal Safety and Quality Through Extending Maternal Care After Pregnancy in Dallas County – Parkland Health

Launched in 2002, the awards honor the late John M. Eisenberg, MD, MBA, former administrator of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). An impassioned advocate for healthcare quality improvement, Dr. Eisenberg was a founding member of NQF’s board of directors.

“It is a true pleasure and privilege to honor these worthy recipients of the John M. Eisenberg Awards,” said Dana Gelb Safran, ScD, president and CEO, NQF. “Dr. Eisenberg was a tireless advocate for healthcare quality and patient safety. His vision and dedication inspired individuals and organizations throughout healthcare to continually strive to improve the quality of care, and undoubtedly saved or dramatically improved untold numbers of lives. His legacy continues to inspire us today and is carried on through achievements like those exemplified by this year's honorees, Dr. Jason S. Adelman, North American Partners in Anesthesia, and Parkland Health. Their work has helped people live better, healthier lives, and I can't think of a more fitting tribute to Dr. Eisenberg's memory."

Dr. Jason S. Adelman is a leader and innovator in the medical errors field and has developed novel methods to measure and prevent errors in health IT systems. Among Dr. Adelman’s key accomplishments is the development of the Wrong-Patient Retract-and-Reorder (RAR) Measure that detects wrong patient orders in electronic health record data. The RAR Measure has subsequently facilitated a large body of patient safety research, including medication errors and wrong-patient orders in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs).

As executive director and founder of the Center for Patient Safety Research, a multi-disciplinary collaboration between Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, and NewYork-Presbyterian, Dr. Adelman has led several National Institutes of Health (NIH) and AHRQ funded projects to test safety interventions across the interventions’ lifespans. His far-reaching impact has contributed to national and international safety recommendations, including from The Joint Commission and NQF.

North American Partners in Anesthesia is honored for its Anesthesia Risk Alerts Program, which was implemented across 500 hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) in March 2019. The program implemented specific mitigation strategies targeting five high-risk clinical scenarios: known or suspected difficult airway, a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 45, pulmonary hypertension, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) status 4 or 5, and operating room (OR) fire risk. Each patient is assessed by the anesthesia clinician, and if a risk is identified, the specific mitigation strategy for that scenario is advised to prevent harm.

After implementation of the program, which reached greater than 95% compliance, the incidence rate of relevant critical adverse events for patients with a BMI greater than or equal to 45 and under general anesthesia decreased significantly.

Parkland Health is recognized for its Extending Maternal Care After Pregnancy (eMCAP) program in Dallas County, initiated in October 2020. The eMCAP program provides postpartum access to care for 12 months after birth for women with the highest social needs and limited access to physician clinic locations, mostly minority women. The program utilizes advance practice providers, community health workers, nurse home visits, virtual visits, and a mobile van deployed to locations in Dallas County to address patient health concerns including hypertension, diabetes, and behavioral health.

Compared to matched controls:

• Attendance for eMCAP patients with chronic hypertension was significantly better up to 12 months after birth.
• Up to three months after birth, patients with diabetes management had significantly better follow up, resulting in significantly lower HbA1c values.
• Patients with abnormal mental health screening scores were successfully referred for behavioral therapy, completed sessions with licensed mental health counselors, and accepted therapeutic intervention.

“Congratulations to Dr. Jason S. Adelman, North American Partners in Anesthesia, and Parkland Health for their incredible achievements worthy of the 2022 John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Awards,” said David W. Baker, MD, MPH, FACP, executive vice president, Division of Healthcare Quality Evaluation, The Joint Commission. “A better healthcare experience for all is possible. The work highlighted by this year’s awards serves as examples of excellence for healthcare organizations to emulate as they move toward providing safer, higher quality care.”

The awardees will be recognized during a special John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety & Quality Awards Luncheon sponsored by Elevance Health at NQF23, NQF’s annual conference, February 20-22, 2023, in Washington, D.C. The achievements of each awardee will also be featured in a special issue of The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety later this year.

The Joint Commission and NQF websites offer additional details on the Eisenberg Awards and the strategies used to implement this year’s recognized initiatives. The next Eisenberg Awards submission period is expected to open in summer 2023. Sign up for email alerts.

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About The Joint Commission

Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission seeks to continuously improve healthcare for the public, in collaboration with other stakeholders, by evaluating healthcare organizations and inspiring them to excel in providing safe and effective care of the highest quality and value. The Joint Commission accredits and certifies more than 22,000 healthcare organizations and programs in the United States. An independent, nonprofit organization, The Joint Commission is the nation’s oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in healthcare. Learn more about The Joint Commission at www.jointcommission.org.

Joint Commission Media Contact

Hannah Miller
Corporate Communications
(630) 792-5174

About National Quality Forum

The National Quality Forum (NQF) works with members o the healthcare community to drive measurable health improvements together. NQF is a not-for-profit, membership-based organization that gives all healthcare stakeholders a voice in advancing quality measures and improvement strategies that lead to better outcomes and greater value. Learn more at www.qualityforum.org.

NQF Media Contact:

Zachary Brousseau
(202) 478-9326