HHS Awards $218M to Create Hospital Engagement Networks

The Department of Health & Human Services announced on Tuesday that it will award $218 million to 26 hospitals and hospital associations for the creation of learning collaboratives that will target preventable injuries and complications from hospital-acquired conditions.

Hospital Engagement Networks (HENs) will identify best practices that can be used to improve patient safety. HENs will work to share the best practices with other hospitals and healthcare providers to improve patient safety in 10 focus areas:

• Adverse drug events
• Catheter-associated urinary tract infections
• Central line–associated blood stream infections
• Injuries from falls and immobility
• Obstetrical adverse events
• Pressure ulcers
• Surgical site infections
• Venous thromboembolism
• Ventilator-associated pneumonia
• Preventable readmissions

The networks will be developed at the regional, state, national, or hospital system level. Intermountain Healthcare in Salt Lake City will lead a HEN that includes a multi-state group of health systems: Mayo Clinic (Minnesota), Baylor Health Care System (Texas), Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (New Hampshire), Denver Health (Colorado), Providence Health & Services (Washington), and the Salt Lake City Veteran's Affairs Medical Center.

Other organizations receiving awards include the American Hospital Association, Michigan Health & Hospital Association, Premier, VHA, and the Washington State Hospital Association.