SBUMC TEAM RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS PATIENT SAFETY AWARD FROM ANESTHESIA PATIENT SAFETY FOUNDATION
Honored for Developing Multidisciplinary Lifesaving Protocol for Maternal Hemorrhage
STONY BROOK, N.Y., December 10, 2007 – Stony Brook University Medical Center Anesthesiologist, Rishimani Adsumelli, M.D., M.B.B.S., F.F.A.R.C.S., and co-authors were selected to receive the Ellison Pierce Patient Safety Award for the exhibit, “Maternal Hemorrhage: A Proactive Multidisciplinary Approach to Reduce Mortality and Morbidity.” The award was presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists* by the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation (APSF). The award, named after its founder Dr. Ellison Pierce, is the highest award given by the APSF.
Commended for its multidisciplinary systems, the presentation highlights the protocols that can effectively reduce maternal hemorrhage mortality and morbidity rates developed at Stony Brook University Medical Center. Maternal hemorrhage occurs either during or after a woman has delivered her baby. The protocol was developed by a multidisciplinary task force consisting of anesthesiologists, obstetricians, nurses, and Blood Bank staff, as a means of anticipating and responding to maternal hemorrhage, one of the most common causes of maternal death. The task force protocol places emphasis on identifying those patients at high risk for maternal hemorrhage and how to access blood products rapidly. Staff received training through educational programs and simulated drills. Code Noelle – the overhead page called in the event of a maternal hemorrhage – got its name from the mannequin used in practice drills.
“This award is extremely competitive which speaks to the significance of this life-saving protocol developed by Dr. Adsumelli and her co-authors,” said Steven L. Strongwater, M.D., CEO of Stony Brook University Medical Center.
“This is one of the highest honors bestowed upon our profession, and we are extremely proud,” says Peter S.A. Glass, M.D., Professor and Chair, Department of Anesthesia at Stony Brook University Medical Center. “Ellison Pierce is one of the grandfathers of patient safety; he is largely responsible for Anesthesia being singled out as the safest medical specialty by the Institute of Medicine.”
Dr. Adsumelli’s co-authors include Ellen Steinberg, M.D., also from the Department of Anesthesiology; Todd Griffin, M.D., and Paul Ogburn, M.D., Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology; Adriann Combs, R.N.C., Wanda Davilla, R.N.C., and Antonietta Lynch, R.N.C., Division of Nursing; and Dennis Galanakis, M.D., Director of the Blood Bank.
