Our Patient Safety Activities

Neighborhood is committed to assuring that its members receive care that is reliable, effective, consistent and safe. Neighborhood has many activities relative to patient safety.

The following activities are undertaken as a demonstration of Neighborhood’s commitment to improve clinical practices and ensure the safety of its members: 

• Review by the Quality Assurance Committee of any potential quality or safety issues (e.g. inpatient re-admissions within three days, significant provider and pharmaceutical errors, substandard care) that are reported by members, case management and utilization review nurses, other staff or external agencies.
• Reporting of positive findings of quality and safety issues by the Quality Assurance Committee to the Board of Director’s Clinical Affairs Committee for discussion and recommended actions.
• Tracking of complaints and concerns over time to identify trends in quality of care.
• Special studies to determine continuity and coordination of care.
• Notification to patients and providers of medications recalled by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
• Careful review of the formulary to avoid medications that are problematic.
• Medical record keeping and documentation guidelines to ensure consistent communication and continuity and coordination of care.
• Comprehensive site assessments during the credentialing process to ensure that patient care sites meet Neighborhood’s standards for safety and cleanliness.
• Care coordination discharge follow-up conducted by the Medical Management Department to ensure positive clinical outcomes for members.
• Care Coordination High Risk outreach programs to members concerning use of hospital emergency rooms, inpatient readmissions, and concurrent use of high numbers of pharmaceuticals.
• Committee review and consideration of new technology, new uses of existing technology, and new pharmaceuticals to ensure the safety, efficacy, and effectiveness of each.
• Targeted and general member educational outreach (member newsletters or telephonic outreach).