Leaders from children’s hospitals throughout the East Coast came to Hershey to share strategies for improving quality care and safety for pediatric patients on April 19. Penn State Children’s Hospital hosted the Solutions for Patient Safety (SPS) Atlantic Coast Regional Meeting at the University Conference Center in Hershey.

SPS is a network of more than 130 children’s hospitals nationwide that works to ensure every child receives safe care every time.

Chief quality officers, providers and nurses shared real-life examples of challenges they face in protecting patient safety and ensuring top quality. They also discussed data and staff training and identified a project to improve data collection for the Atlantic Coast Region.

“Being selected to host this meeting demonstrates that Penn State Children’s Hospital is a front-runner in providing quality, safe care,” said Jen Lau, a nurse manager at the Children’s Hospital and an SPS regional champion. “We are proud to share our best practices with other hospitals as we make progress on our journey to zero harm.”

Attendees also toured the Children’s Hospital and discussed patient falls, the problem of patients removing their own tubes – known as unplanned extubations – and strategies to improve the use of antimicrobial medications.

“Patient safety is a top priority at Penn State Health,” said Steve Mrozowski, director of patient safety at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. “This collaboration with SPS has allowed us to refine how we handle patient safety for the children’s hospital and our entire health system.”