Press Releases

DUBLIN, Ohio, March 13, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- In honor of Patient Safety Awareness Week, Cardinal Health and the Cardinal Health Foundation are reinforcing their ongoing commitment to improving patient safety across the continuum of care through a number of grants and initiatives.

Medical errors are the third-leading cause of death in the United States, according to a recent study by researchers at Johns Hopkins University, published in BMJ (formerly the British Medical Journal) in May, 2016. The researchers estimate that medical errors claim as many as 251,000 lives every year.

Cardinal Health first recognized patient safety as an issue in 2009 when it supported the creation of Children's Hospitals' Solutions for Patient Safety (SPS) – a network of what is now 130 hospitals sharing data and best practices with the mission of eliminating serious harm across their hospitals. Recently selected for the John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Awards, SPS has saved an estimated 10,000 children from serious harm and has eliminated more than $151 million in healthcare costs.

"From the beginning, Cardinal Health shared our vision that no child should experience serious harm during treatment," said Nick Lashutka, president and CEO, SPS and the Ohio Children's Hospital Association. "We're grateful for their support and acknowledge their efforts to emphasize the importance of safety in the delivery of healthcare."

In addition to its support of SPS, Cardinal Health has shown its commitment to patient safety through the following initiatives:

• E3 (Effectiveness, Efficiency & Excellence in Healthcare) grants. Through this grant program, the Cardinal Health Foundation has invested more than $9 million in hundreds of healthcare organizations as they work to improve patient outcomes and reduce healthcare costs. See recent grantees' achievements in increasing patient safety here.
• Generation Rx Best Practices in Pain Medication Use grants. The Foundation's Generation Rx Best Practices in Pain Medication Use and Patient Engagement grants are helping clinicians meet Centers for Disease Control opioid prescribing guidelines to improve the safety and efficacy of pain care and reduce the risks of long-term opioid use. The Foundation expects to announce the recipients of its 2018 Best Practices in Pain Medication Use grants this spring.
• Patient Safety Movement Foundation. Cardinal Health has become a committed partner with the Patient Safety Movement Foundation , a global movement with the mission of zero preventable deaths by 2020. As a committed partner, Cardinal Health will spread the mission of zero preventable deaths by 2020 and encourage and facilitate the sharing of successful patient safety processes among healthcare leaders within the Cardinal Health community. 
• The Award for Excellence in Medication Safety. This nationally-acclaimed awards program, a collaboration between the American Society of Hospital Pharmacists (ASHP) Foundation and the Cardinal Health Foundation, recognizes pharmacist-led inter-professional teams for significant system-wide improvements in medication safety that have demonstrated patient and organizational outcomes.  Videos of recent winners and finalists are available here.

"For nearly a decade, the Cardinal Health Foundation has invested more than $16 million to improve care, reduce costs and increase efficiency," said Dianne Radigan, vice president of Community Relations at Cardinal Health. "While we've made great progress in helping improve patient safety by collaborating with healthcare organizations and providers, Patient Safety Awareness Week reminds us all that there is still more work to be done."

More information about Cardinal Health's commitment to patient safety is available on the Community Relations webpage.

Editor's note: SPS Associate Clinical Director Trey Coffey, MD, also shared specific steps that all hospitals should take to improve overall safety and reduce harm in Cardinal Health's online publication, Essential Insights.

About Cardinal Health
Cardinal Health, Inc. is a global, integrated healthcare services and products company, providing customized solutions for hospitals, healthcare systems, pharmacies, ambulatory surgery centers, clinical laboratories and physician offices worldwide. The company provides clinically proven medical products, pharmaceuticals and cost-effective solutions that enhance supply chain efficiency from hospital to home. Cardinal Health connects patients, providers, payers, pharmacists and manufacturers for integrated care coordination and better patient management. To help combat prescription drug abuse, the company and its education partners created Generation Rx, a national drug education and awareness program. Backed by nearly 100 years of experience, with approximately 50,000 employees in nearly 60 countries, Cardinal Health ranks #15 on the Fortune 500. For more information, visit cardinalhealth.com, follow @CardinalHealth on Twitter, @cardinalhealthwings on Facebook and connect on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/ company/cardinal-health.

About the Cardinal Health Foundation 
The Cardinal Health Foundation supports local, national and international programs that improve health care efficiency, effectiveness and excellence and the overall wellness of the communities where Cardinal Health, Inc.'s (NYSE: CAH) more than 40,000 employees live and work. The Cardinal Health Foundation also offers grants to encourage community service among its employees and works through international agencies to donate much-needed medical supplies and funding to those who need them in times of disaster; because Cardinal Health, Inc. is #AllInForGood. To learn more, visit www.CardinalHealth.com/community.

SOURCE Cardinal Health