Abundance of Relationships Moves Partnership for Patients Forward
December 17 10:39 AM
Evelyn McKnight
Abundance.
Rural hospitals have been described as “resource restricted but relationship rich." The abundance of rich relationships was keenly evident in the Abundance and Partnership Vehicles session of the Partnership for Patients Learning Session at QualityNet on Wednesday.
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Partnership for Patients--Calling All Advocates
December 12 8:09 AM
Evelyn McKnight
Serving as a patient advocate, I had the honor of attending the Partnership for Patients National Priorities Partnership meeting in Washington, DC, on November 30. PfP, an initiative funded by the Affordable Healthcare Act, aims to reduce hospital acquired conditions by 40% and hospital readmissions by 20% by the end of 2013.
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Midland University: Committed Student Nurses!
October 24 10:29 PM
Evelyn McKnight
Many thanks to Melissa Heavican and her student nurses of Midland University of Fremont, NE for inviting me to join their discussion of "A Never Event." Many insightful comments and questions were discussed regarding fostering a culture of safety and teamwork in healthcare, ethical considerations, safe injection practices and the emotional journey of cancer compounded with contracting a deadly disease through medical care.
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"Rural Health and the Patient Perspective"
October 15 10:31 AM
Evelyn McKnight
“Rural Health and the Patient Perspective" by Evelyn McKnight, a Partnership for Patients presentation, in its entirety (click "Keep Reading," below).
Dear Friends,
I have had the opportunity and good fortune of becoming a part of the Partnership for Patients, a public-private partnership dedicated to improving the quality, safety and affordability of health care for all Americans. Launched in 2011 by the Department of Health and Human Services, it is committed to addressing all forms of harm that can impact patients in health care settings. The overall goals include reducing hospital acquired conditions by 40% and hospital readmissions by 20% by the end of 2013.
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Thanks to Everyone in Albany!
May 19 2:20 PM
Evelyn McKnight
Tom and I had a wonderful visit to Albany, appearing on Public Health Live and then visiting the Albany Medical Center. Special thanks to Mary Beth Wenger, our One and Only Campaign coordinator in New York, and all of her wonderful colleagues for this support. Glad that the One and Only Campaign is alive and well in New York. Great work!
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Safe Injection Practices Coalition Annual Meeting
January 26 10:45 AM
Evelyn McKnight
Many thanks to the CDC and the CDC Foundation for hosting the SIPC meeting yesterday - and thanks to our wonderful partners, all of whom are dedicated to the mission to make health care safe, for their involvement in our mission. I was asked to say a few words about the history and progress of our coalition. We have come so far in such a short time! And we have great ideas - great minds to lead us forward - for 2011 and beyond. A special thanks to our representatives from Nevada, New York and New Jersey. Your concentrated efforts and your innovative strategies helped prove, yet again, that our mission is helping to save lives.
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New drugs for hepatitis C
January 17 2:51 PM
Evelyn McKnight
For people affected by hepatitis C - and those who may be diagnosed with HCV in the future - I am very excited about the new drugs that Merck (boceprevir) and Vertex (telaprevir) are hoping to bring to market. From what I have read and heard, these drugs could help cut treatment time in half. More about these meds in this article that came out today: http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5jIimWDRCH6cTQvX2W852dHURUBwA?docId=5676894
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Advocacy Conference!
January 14 10:40 AM
Evelyn McKnight
It's that time of year again! Many thanks to our partners AANA, BD and Hospira for helping form the Alliance for Safe Injections. We invite you all to join us March 1-2 for the annual advocacy conference. Please contact Steve Langan at steve@HONOReform and 402-659-6343 with questions and to make your reservations.
Together, we are making a difference: safeguarding the medical injection process, helping prevent outbreaks, educating providers and the public.
We cannot do it without you, and we thank you for your time and dedication.
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My remarks on Friday night.
November 19 8:25 AM
Evelyn McKnight
Thank you to everyone for being part of our wonderful event on Friday night. Our sponsors, committee members, volunteers, presenters, attendees - you all helped make a difference. You helped us generate awareness for our work and our mission, and you helped us raise over $65,000 to continue, and to supplement, our work. Many thanks.
I was asked to share my remarks on Friday night. Here they are. Thanks again for your friendship, for your kind support.
HONOReform United!
November 12, 2010 closing remarks
Thank you all for being here with us this evening, for standing with us to make sure that what happened to us in Fremont does not happened anywhere else in the United States. The support of this community is overwhelming. We are awed and honored by your generosity, your greatness of heart.
It is good and right for us to be here. We are to be the leaders in this national effort to prevent healthcare transmission of bloodborne pathogens. It’s curious, isn’t it? Who would have foreseen that Fremont, a humble town in the heartland of the country, would be given this mission? But the universe will have its way, and we have been called – all of us – to share our story, to educate with passion about safe injection practices and to engage policy makers with conviction about the need for policy reform.
The blessing of a tragedy such as ours is that it gives us pause for reflection. And in reflection it becomes clear what is truly important in life. Working to prevent what happened to us in Fremont from happening elsewhere in the United States is truly important. And so with urgency we press on.
It is a great challenge for us and one that we can and will obtain. Margaret Mead was talking about us when she said: “A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.”
And so now it is time for celebration. It is a time to celebrate our endurance, our healing and our hope. It is a time to celebrate our honorable mission and our accomplishments. It is a time to celebrate our comradeship. And so I ask that we all stand and applaud our solidarity of purpose.
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Safe in Common; our toolkit in Nevada; the FDA; Friday.
November 10 12:30 PM
Evelyn McKnight
In addition to our awareness and fundraising event Friday night at the Fremont Golf Club, we have a lot of exciting developments to report.
I was asked to join the Safe In Common advisory board, and I accepted. We met them at the APIC conference in New Orleans, and we admire their vision.
On December 1, I'm joining colleagues Dianne Travers-Gustafson and Steve Langan to debut our Compassionate Response Toolkit (TM) in Las Vegas with the Southern Nevada Health District. They will be providing copies of the toolkit to providers throughout their service area...to have available to people who are infected with bloodborne pathogens.
Steve will attend the FDA Safe Use Initiative meeting next week and discuss some of HONOReform's policy efforts. Our colleague Sara Weir, who coordinates our Safe Injection Practices Coalition, will give a talk on the ongoing efforts of our SIPC, including our work on the One and Only Campaign.
I look forward to seeing friends and colleagues and supporters on Friday...and, on behalf of the many other people affected by bloodborne pathogens in outbreaks throughout the United States, am overjoyed and humbled by the support that is being shown to our HONOReform Foundation.
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Our event on Friday
November 8 2:24 PM
Evelyn McKnight
Dear Friends,
We are overwhelmed - and so grateful to all of you. On behalf of my husband Tom and our family - and the HONOReform Foundation board of directors and our great partners throughout the United States - thank you to everyone who has provided a sponsorship, made a donation, sent us a note, thought of us.
Support like this, in Fremont and throughout the United States, makes a huge difference. Because of your support we are able to continue our mission and add some key programs next year. Our aim to help make sure every injection given in America is a safe one can come true...because of your generosity.
I look forward to seeing many of you on Friday...and I thank everyone for your commitment to our mission.
Now, I have to go back to work. We have a big party to plan!
Love,
Evelyn
P.S. There is still room at the Fremont Golf Club. Please join us!
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IIPW tomorrow; Nov. 12 event in Fremont.
October 13 11:46 AM
Evelyn McKnight
Sorry to admit I've been away from my blog for a while!
On tomorrow I join patient advocate Karen Morrow from Las Vegas, Joe Perz of the CDC, and many others to participate in press conferences to document progress in solving HAIs. It's at the National Press Club, starting at 10 AM. Thanks to APIC for hosting this day, and gathering great people for this discussion.
We are working hard on our Nov. 12 event in Fremont. The ladies - Algene, Gloria, Jean and Marie - joined me yesterday to stuff and mail the invitation. Please join us, if you can; and please consider helping support HONOReform Foundation, if you cannot make it to the event. Many thanks.
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APIC Conference
July 20 10:41 AM
Evelyn McKnight
Thanks again for the opportunity to present the "For Your Inspiration" talk at the APIC conference last week in New Orleans. A special thank you to Denise Graham and Shawn Boynes for their hard work on the conference. Among the highlights were presentations by Drs. Atul Gawande and Peter Pronovost. And we enjoyed meeting our colleagues at Safe in Common, who kindly included me in a video segment that will appear on their web site (http://www.safeincommon.org/). A great conference. Well done, APIC!
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Consumers Union, Testimony at Hepatitis Hearing, and Public Comment at HICPAC
June 18 3:00 PM
Evelyn McKnight
It was a busy and gratifying week. Highlights include meeting fellow patient advocates at the event organized by Consumers Union at the CDC. Special thanks to Lisa McGiffert and her colleagues for their wonderful work.
I issued testimony as part of the congressional hearing on hepatitis yesterday, and we are including it in the "Advocacy/Policy" button on our web site. Here's the link: http://www.honoreform.org/public-policy-advocacy/details.aspx?ID=6
Steve Langan remained at the CDC for the first half of the HICPAC meeting yesterday, and he made a comment in response to Dr. Schaefer's presentation on infection rates at outpatient clinics. Because of concentrated migration of healthcare to outpatient clinics, it is clear that the 2007 HICPAC guidelines need to be revised, updated. Their discussion of creating a checklist is particularly interesting news.
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ABC News Report and JAMA article, etc.
June 9 9:44 AM
Evelyn McKnight
A busy morning, and a satisfying one. The news report on unsafe practices in outpatient surgery centers from ABC is making the rounds - it's on our home page - and the article, "Infection Control Assessment of Ambulatory Surgery Centers," co-written by many of our friends, came out today in JAMA. Contact our executive director, Steve Langan, at 402.659.6343 or steve@www.HONOReform.org, and he will send you a copy.
I am so grateful for friends throughout the country who are helping to make a difference. Thank you for validating the struggle of so many of us who have been affected by unsafe practices.
One of the nurse anesthesists involved in the Las Vegas outbreak was arrested today. And there was a an excellent story by Luis Fabregas, titled "Syringe reuse failed to surface in Children's Hospital records," published yesterday. If any of the editors in Pittsburgh happen upon my blog, will you please - please - consider the opinion piece I wrote and sent to you?
I also responded about the outbreak of hepatitis B at the free dental clinic in West Virginia...and sent that to editor Jake Womer.
Our committee meets at noon today - full steam ahead on our November 12 awareness and fundraising event in Fremont.
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One & Only Campaign Video update
June 3 10:51 AM
Steve Langan
A report today from the coordinator of the One & Only Campaign: 800 orders, from as far away as Ireland and New Zealand. I am so proud of the efforts of the Safe Injection Practices Coalition...clearly becoming noticed by people who want and need this valuable - and life saving - information!
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Pittsburgh Childrens Hospital; Lauren Lolllini.
June 1 11:53 AM
Evelyn McKnight
Sadly, news about outbreaks does not take the long weekend off. We learned late last week of a report from Pittsburgh. Over 250 children who had been diagnosed with cerebral palsy were treated with Botox to help them walk. The same syringes were used on multiple patients. Shocking and sad. I wrote and sent an op-ed in response to this awful news to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Our friend - one of our heroes - Lauren Lollini of Denver is featured on the main page of our web site. Kudos to Lauren for her hard work on behalf of people who are affected by outbreaks.
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First day of Video release
May 27 11:26 AM
Evelyn McKnight
On the first day of the roll out of the One and Only Campaign, we had 192 requests! Notices of the release of the video appeared in over 100 web postings. Thanks again to the SIPC for all your hard work and dedication!
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Media rounds today
May 26 6:22 PM
Evelyn McKnight
Something I can cross off my bucket list: I was on the Tom Becka Show today on KFAB in Omaha. And part of an article that appeared in the Omaha World-Herald today - and one that will be out in the Las Vegas Review-Journal - all of the debut of the One and Only Campaign video. I believe Dr. Michael Bell, narrator of the video, will also be part of the Las Vegas story, written by reporter Paul Harasim. KETV 7 in Omaha has invited us to be part of a story; we will likely see them tomorrow or Friday. Many thanks to members of the Safe Injection Practices Coalition for allowing me to be one of the spokespersons for our campaign!
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Press Release - Debut of One & Only Campaign Video
May 26 8:32 AM
Evelyn McKnight
On behalf of our coalition partners - and many others who helped brainstorm and develop the One & Only Campaign video - I am very proud. This video depicts many of the issues that have affected people throughout the United States, including 99 of us in Nebraska. There is also a section on myths of injection practices. I am grateful for the dedicated work of our Safe Injection Practices Coalition, and welcome the opportunity to discuss this video with members of the media and others. This morning's press release is included below.
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Multimedia Release of One & Only Campaign video
May 20 1:16 PM
Evelyn McKnight
Good news from our partners on the Safe Injection Practices Coalition: At 9 AM EST on Wednesday, May 26, a multimedia version (video, web site, etc.) will go out on the wire to all editors! Along with Dr. Bell, I am one of the spokespersons. We anticipate a lot of interest from media and the public on the importance of One Needle, One Syringe, Only One Time!
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Evelyn to speak Monday at CDC
May 18 3:14 PM
Steve Langan
Evelyn and Tom McKnight will attend the Safety by Engineering meeting Monday at the CDC. Rich Caizza, an HONOReform Foundation advisor whose background is in injection engineering, will join them. Working with industry leaders and public organizations to have injection devices that can only be used once distributed throughout the United States is high on the list of HONOReform's priorities.
Patient with Hepatitis C Sues In Colorado over Fenanyl Theft
May 11 10:55 AM
Evelyn McKnight
We are monitoring this lawsuit filed by Ms. Fleisher against Rose Medical Center. We are in support of all patients and families in Colorado. The outbreak in Colorado clearly underscores how necessary it is to engineer safety into the healthcare system. Tom and I and Rich Caizza will attend the Safety by Design meeting on May 24 at the CDC. More information on the lawsuit: http://www.outpatientsurgery.net/news/2010/05/5
Reuse of Syringes Is Persistent, Damaging
May 3 9:12 AM
Evelyn McKnight
At the core of so many of the issues HONOReform addresses is the reuse of the syringe. This situation in Indiana is yet another example of of what we and our partners in the One and Only Campaign are working hard to prevent.
INDIANAPOLIS (April 30, 299010) -- A Bloomington doctor accused of using the same syringe on
multiple patients is now suspected of contributing to the deaths of five
people he treated.
The attorney general's office on Friday filed a complaint against Dr. Kamal
Tiwari, accusing him of overprescribing medications to at least nine patients
and providing prescriptions to patients who he knew were selling their
medication and using illegal drugs, 6News' Rafael Sanchez reported.
The state says that four men and one woman died after abusing or overusing
drugs prescribed by Tiwari between August 2003 and February 2009.
"This particular physician should have known dangers of prescribing practices
and he didn't act on that," said Deputy Attorney General Abby Kuzma.
Tiwari, an anesthesiologist, treated patients with serious spine and back
pain in a number of offices in Greenwood, Jasper, Bloomington and New Albany,
state officials said.
On Friday, Sanchez went to the Pain Management Center at 2920 McIntyre Drive
in Bloomington, where staff members declined to comment about the
allegations.
An employee at the Pain Management Center at 3162 National Road in Columbus
said Tiwari hadn't seen patients there for at least three months.
In 2007, Tiwari was accused by the state of using the same syringe on
multiple patients at another Bloomington facility.
Needles were changed between patients, but the syringe was not, according to
the Indiana State Board of Health records.
Officials said that issue remains under investigation and is now part of the
current complaint.
Tiwari's attorney, Arend Abel, said none of the allegations are true.
"This is the latest step of a concerted campaign of harassment that Tiwari
has undergone," he said. He declined to discuss the specific merits in the
state's 54-page complaint.
Tiwari can still practice medicine in Indiana, but is banned from writing
prescriptions.
The Indiana Medical Licensing Board will likely take up Tiwari's case in
September.
HONOReform featured in today's Review Journal
April 13 8:20 AM
Steve Langan
Thanks to all of our wonderful partners here in Nevada:
http://www.lvrj.com/news/hepatitis-group-has-eye-on-trial-90726779.html
I am meeting this morning with some of the patients and with one of the attorneys who is working on the majority of the cases. At one o'clock jury selection resumes.
Civil Trial Began Today in Las Vegas: Kearney later this week
April 12 8:42 PM
Steve Langan
Many thanks to attorneys Billie-Marie Morrison, Will Kemp, Robert Adams and colleagues for their help and guidance today as the first civil trial - the jury selection - started today in Las Vegas. This is an important case for many reasons...as it underscores, in yet another way, the importance of maintaining the integrity - from the perspective of providers, patients, and pharmaceutical companies - of "single use." I will continue to report on tomorrow and Wednesday from Las Vegas.
This article appeared just minutes ago in the Las Vegas Sun: http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/apr/12/jury-selection-begins-first-hepatitis-c-case-reach/
Evelyn McKnight presents on Friday in Kearney, Nebraska, to about 350 PAs. Featuring copies of her book A Never Event, HONOReform will have a booth Thursday and Friday at the Kearney Holiday Inn.
No New Admissions at Massachusetts Hospital
March 23 8:50 AM
Evelyn McKnight
Our friend Pam Dembski Hart sent us this article: http://wbztv.com/business/Mass.officials.New.2.1576129.html
Partly because of concerns over IV injections, Mt. Sinai Hospital in Sloughton, Mass, is not accepting new admissions.
Response to Dear Colleague!
March 10 11:14 AM
Steve Langan
We are getting a very good response to the Dear Colleague circulated by Representives Berkley and Terry! Our request is for $30 million to extend programmatic funding for detection and tracking of healthcare associated infection ($5 million to provide the One and Only Campaign in 5-10 more states) - with a concentration on the VA and in outpatient settings. Thanks for all the support!
Desai Bankruptcy Delays Civil Lawsuits
March 4 8:56 AM
Evelyn McKnight
Along with the many people in Las Vegas who were affected by the 2008 outbreak, I am disappointed that Desai's bankruptcy has delayed the civil lawsuits there. We appreciate the work of our friends and advocates in Nevada, and we welcome the opportunity to help in any way we can. It is clear that we must also all work together to change the way outbreak victims are treated within the legal system. Story from Las Vegas Review-Journal below:
http://www.lvrj.com/news/desai-files-bankruptcy--puts-lawsuits-and-malpractice-trial-on-hold-86320967.html
Save the Date: November 12, 2010, Fremont Golf Club
March 3 10:06 AM
Steve Langan
"Join HONOReform to Celebrate a Decade of Patient Safety Reform" on Friday, November 12, at the Fremont Golf Club. Our outstanding committee is developing a wonderful event. We welcome our local and national partners and supporters to join us in Fremont. Among the highlights is Evelyn McKnight's announcement of HONOReform's accomplishments in patient safety and education over the last ten years...Call Steve Langan at 402.659.6343 for more information. Details on the event will be announced shortly.
Call for New Legislation in Colorado
March 2 10:25 AM
Evelyn McKnight
With many thanks to the efforts of Lauren Lollini and her colleagues in Colorado...for pushing for the regulations of surgical technicians.
KRISTEN PARKER CASE CALLS FOR NEW LEGISLATION
Lawmakers Call For Regulation Of Surgical Technicians
DENVER -- Colorado lawmakers announced new legislation to help keep patients safe from people like Kristen Parker, the surgical technician convicted of exposing thousands to hepatitis C at Rose Medical Center.
Safe Injection Practices Coalition Training Video!
February 26 9:10 AM
Evelyn McKnight
I leave Sunday to work on Monday in Atlanta with our wonderful partners at the CDC. As part of the One and Only Campaign materials, we are making the training video. I have the honor of doing the introduction. The video has five segments, each respresenting what what wrong in recent American outbreaks - and how these situations could be, can be, easily avoided. I am ready for my close-up!
AANA conference; Desai; Parker sentencing.
February 25 3:29 PM
Evelyn McKnight
What a great crowd! About 500 attended my presentation this morning at the AANA conference in San Antonio. The title was "Infection Control from a Patient's Perspective." Particularly humbling because it was the first annual "John S. Gard Memorial Lecture." Gard was the longtime ED of AANA; he died suddenly last July. I saw a lot of old friends, and met a lot of new ones. Thanks to everyone for their great ideas! Thanks for approaching me after my talk!
I was informed today that Dipak Desai, formerly of Las Vegas, lost his medical license. When I receive more information I will comment on this.
I was also notified that Kristen Parker, who was responsible for the Denver outbreak, was sentenced today to 30 years. I wrote and we submitted a letter to the editor of the New York Times...stating that we need to engineer safety into the system. So no matter who is involved in our healthcare, things like the Denver outbreak will never happen again.
Evelyn McKnight at AANA conference tomorrow
February 24 9:46 PM
Steve Langan
Evelyn is in San Antonio speaking at the annual American Association of Nurse Anesthetists Convention in San Antonio; on Sunday she will be at the CDC helping to make, and "starring in," the Safe Injection Practices Coaltion One and Only Campaign Training Video! She will also be voicing the PSA (along with Victoria Nahum of the Safecare Campaign) for the New York roll out of the One and Only Campaign!
Scientific Advisory Board
February 24 9:42 PM
Steve Langan
We have great prospects for the HONOReform Scientific Advisory Council. Richard Caizza, noted engineer of safety devices, and Pam Dembski Hart, who has great knowledge of and experience in heatlh regulation, have agreed to become our advisors!
Results of Advocacy Conference; Dr. Peter Pronovost.
February 24 9:38 PM
Evelyn McKnight
Our contingent was extraordinary: we visited 45 offices, had 8 meetings with members of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health (trying to secure the congressional hearing on healthcare associated infection), 3 meetings with members of Congress, 2 meetings where the member said hello, and 2 meetings with leaders of Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions.
On Monday we had a great meeting organized by our director Ron Noecker. At Johns Hopkins we visited with Dean Martha Hill and Dr. Peter Pronovost. Among other things Pronovost is known for establishing a revolution in patient safety through his checklist concept. We hope HONOReform will find a way to work with Pronovost and his team!
First day of Advocacy Conference!
February 22 9:05 PM
Evelyn McKnight
Many thanks to all our great advocates! Wonderful meetings today on Capitol Hill capped off by 15 of us at a great meeting with Senator Johanns! We meet tomorrow on the Capitol Steps for a photo shoot. This is great support for our two asks: extension of programmatic funding from the CDC for tracking and detection of healthcare-associated infections (including $5 million to extend the One and Only Campaign) and funding for ASCs and for the VA; and the request for HONOReform to have a congressional hearing.
Florida outbreak
February 20 12:15 PM
Steve Langan
The announcement last week of an outbreak in a Tampa area holistic medicine clinic gives us even more reason to visit lawmakers on the Hill on Monday and Tuesday. Our dedicated volunteers from Florida will make visits for us. A full statement by Evelyn in response to the Florida outbreak is on the main page of our web site. Thank you for your support of prevention of unsafe injection practices.
HONOReform Web Site Launch!
February 1 2:03 PM
Evelyn McKnight
Welcome to our expanded Web site!
On behalf of the many people throughout the United States who have been affected by unsafe injection practices and other healthcare acquired infections, thank you for your support. It is our aim to have the updated HONOReform Web site serve as an information hub for patients, consumers, healthcare professionals, advocates, lawmakers, scientists, concerned citizens, and others. To that end, I invite you to please contact us anytime. As we work together to create safe environments that are supported by adequate legislation, please feel free to share your experience, insight and resources. Please call on me anytime.
Evelyn McKnight
Co-founder, President, HONOReform