Congratulations to the recipient of the 7th Annual LAMMICO Patient Safety Award and Grant: Bienville Surgery Center in Vancleave, Mississippi. The 2021-2022 Patient Safety Award and Grant centered on devastating events such as hurricanes, pandemics, terrorist attacks or situations in which practitioners may make errors that could cause harm to a patient. If a healthcare provider already has burnout, the combination of the ongoing burnout symptoms and the trauma from the new devastating event may produce even greater physical and emotional reactions and impact patient safety.
By demonstrating the best support mechanisms for staff along with the impact of the interventions on staff and patient safety after completing LAMMICO's risk management and patient safety education, Bienville Surgery Center was awarded a:
- $10,000 grant to be used for nursing professional development
- One-year Risk Manager membership to the American Society for Healthcare Risk Management (ASHRM)
- One-year complimentary membership to Medical Interactive Community for all employees to access our risk management CME/CNE/MOC courses online
After completing LAMMICO’s educational activity, “Devastating Events: Moving from Trauma to Tranquility,” Bienville Surgery Center’s leadership team discussed how to build relationships to improve staff safety and satisfaction as a way to also impact patient safety and satisfaction. A “Donuts and Dialogue” peer support group was formed to foster human connections and create an environment of trust and camaraderie among employees. The leadership team also revamped leadership rounding with enhanced rounds having a leadership presence in all areas of the center. This enhanced rounding boosted morale and assisted staff. It increased patient safety as staff is more likely to ask questions of administrators and clinical leaders on the floor, and thus potentially decrease errors.
Another tactic was the development of a book club. Led by staff, the “Unofficial Book Club” provides an avenue to decompress and focus on self-healing and stress relief. In addition, a paid time off accrual increase for staff was implemented with a new rollover limit set to encourage employees to use their vacation time throughout the year to avoid burnout.
Their grant application noted, “COVID-19 has changed the world as we once knew it and many healthcare workers are attempting to pour from an empty cup. At Bienville Surgery Center, we feel confident that the support mechanisms we have integrated into our everyday operations are helping fill the cups of our employees.”
LAMMICO commends Bienville Surgery Center and all others who submitted award applications, for their commitment to improving patient safety.
To learn more about the LAMMICO Patient Safety Award and Grant program, visit lammico.com/grant.
About LAMMICO
LAMMICO is the largest medical professional liability insurance carrier in Louisiana and the only Louisiana-domiciled "A" rated medical professional liability insurance carrier writing hospitals and facilities. LAMMICO is a policyholder-owned insurance company, offering competitively priced comprehensive products and services to protect the reputation of healthcare providers and facilities.
