MDI Hospital is part of a collaborative of small rural hospitals across Maine that recently received the President’s Award for Improved Patient Safety from the New England Rural Health Roundtable. The President’s Award is presented to a group or individual whose efforts in the area of rural health have had a significant impact. The award was presented at the Roundtable’s October 30th annual symposium in Portland for the Collaborative’s efforts in the area of patient medication safety initiatives.
A non-profit, membership-driven organization committed to improving health and health care throughout rural New England communities.
“MDI Hospital’s Blue Folder Project is based on a program originally developed by Bridgton Hospital as a way to help patients manage their medications and medical instructions on discharge,” said Brenda Smith, MDI Hospital’s Clinical Information Specialist and a representative to the statewide Critical Access Hospital Patient Safety Collaborative. “The project is working so well that many in the Collaborative decided to adopt it,” she said.
Smith explained that, starting in January inpatients at MDI Hospital will receive a sturdy blue accordion folder upon discharge. The folder will contain the patient’s current medication list and their discharge instructions.
“After a hospital stay, keeping track of medications and information can be challenging,” said Smith. “The folder gives patients an easy way to manage all of that important information and to make it available to everyone involved in the patient’s care. Studies show that having this kind of documentation helps patients’ providers ensure the safest medical care,” she said.
Many of the CAH Collaborative’s patient safety projects have been funded by the Maine Health Access Foundation (MeHAF), Maine’s largest health care foundation.