September 15, 2016, 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm CT / 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm ET
Harmonizing Healthcare Emergency Codes
Leaders who have successfully harmonized their emergency codes will speak on lessons learned from this vital issue. With the frequency and severity of active shooter events, healthcare facility terrorism, and natural disasters striking healthcare institutions, coordination of the communication of emergency codes is critical. The discussion of the “how to” harmonize emergency codes and implementing plain language and simple text principles to improve effectiveness will be discussed. Stories illustrating how confusion regarding codes can lead to preventable deaths will be shared.
Dr. Bill Scharf and his colleagues at OSF have successfully accomplished harmonization of emergency codes across their health system and will share their experience. James Mitchell and Aaron Freedkin of Texas Children’s Hospital will describe their journey to harmonizing their emergency codes and moving to plain language for the world’s largest children’s hospital.
In our reactor panel, Chief Bill Adcox, Inspector Vickie King, and Dr. Greg Botz of MD Anderson Cancer Center will discuss the importance of standardization at major medical centers where multiple institutions share common sky walkways and common areas as well as have caregivers and staff who rotate through multiple areas where differing emergency codes are used. Jennifer Dingman will discuss the perspectives of the patient and the family.
We offer these online webinars at no cost to our participants.
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Webinar Video, and Downloads
Webinar Video:
National Survey Results:
Click here to download the National Survey Results. 
Speaker Slide Set:
Click here to download the combined speakers’ slide set in PDF format – one (1) slide per page.
Click here to download the combined speakers’ slide set in PDF format – four (4) slides per page. 
To view the file, click the desired link (please note: the files may take several minutes to download). To save to your hard drive, right click on the link and choose “Save Target As.” (In some browsers it might say “Save Link As.”)
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Registration Information and CE Credit Information
Register: The webinar has previously taken place. See webinar video above.
Webinar date: September 15, 2016
Time:
- 01:00 PM to 2:30 PM Eastern Daylight Time
- 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM Central Daylight Time
- 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM Mountain Daylight Time
- 10:00 AM to 1:30 AM Pacific Daylight Time
We are accepting questions now that relate to the session topics. Please e-mail any questions related to the specific session to webinars@safetyleaders.org with the session title in the e-mail message header.
- Questions about the Webinar series?
E-mail webinars@safetyleaders.org or call 512-473-2370 between 9:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. CT. - Need technical assistance with registration? Call 512-457-7605 between 9:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. CT.
Learning Objectives:
- Awareness: Participants will understand and be able to communicate the value of harmonizing emergency codes and will have an understanding of the value of plain language and simple text concepts.
- Accountability: Participants will understand who is accountable for responding to, and prioritizing, the opportunities for harmonizing emergency codes.
- Ability: Participants will learn the principles of harmonization of quality standards down to the specification level.
- Action: Participants will learn about existing emergency code standards and what actions they may need to take in their organizations.
CE Participation Documentation
Texas Medical Institute of Technology, approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number 15996, will be issuing 1.5 contact hours for this webinar. TMIT is only providing nursing credit at this time.
To request a Participation Document, please click here.
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Related Resources
- Healthcare Security and Emergency Management Newsletter. Crack the uncommon code with standardization. Hcpro: 2004 Oct. Col 3 No 10. Pg 6. Available at http://www.hcpro.com/HOM-42311-742/Crack-the-uncommon-code-with-standardization.html
- Keys VA, Selzler M. Emergency Code Color Standardization: Implementation Without Traumatization. Journal for Nurses in Staff Development. 2011. Available at href=”http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21602633
- Lalande F, RN, BSN. Standardization of Color-Coded Alerts: Time for a National Effort. PSQH. 2014 May 6. Available at http://www.psqh.com/news/standardization-of-color-coded-alerts-time-for-a-national-effort/
- Wallace SC, Finley E. Standardized Emergency Codes May Minimize “Code Confusion”. Pennsylvania Patient Safety Advisory. 2015 Mar. Available at http://patientsafetyauthority.org/ADVISORIES/AdvisoryLibrary/2015/mar;12(1)/Pages/01.aspx
- National Quality Forum. Safe Practice 1: Culture of Safety Leadership Structures and Systems. IN: Safe Practices for Better Healthcare – 2010 Update: A Consensus Report. Washington, DC: National Quality Forum; 2010. Available at http://www.qualityforum.org.
- National Quality Forum. Safe Practice 2: Culture Measurement, Feedback, and Intervention. IN: Safe Practices for Better Healthcare – 2010 Update: A Consensus Report. Washington, DC: National Quality Forum; 2010. Available at
http://www.qualityforum.org
- National Quality Forum. Safe Practice 3: Teamwork Training and Skill Building. IN: Safe Practices for Better Healthcare – 2010 Update: A Consensus Report. Washington, DC: National Quality Forum; 2010. Available at
http://www.qualityforum.org - National Quality Forum. Safe Practice 4: Risks and Hazards. IN: Safe Practices for Better Healthcare – 2010 Update: A Consensus Report. Washington, DC: National Quality Forum; 2010. Available at
http://www.qualityforum.org - National Quality Forum. Chapter 9: Opportunities for Patient and Family Involvement. IN: Safe Practices for Better Healthcare – 2010 Update: A Consensus Report. Washington, DC: National Quality Forum; 2010. Available at
http://www.qualityforum.org
In the News
- Journal of Patient Safety (Entire Issue). September 2016. Available at http://journals.lww.com/journalpatientsafety/pages/currenttoc.aspx
- Park M. Grandmother in heroin photo gets 180 days in jail. CNN. 2015 Sept 15. Available at http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/15/health/heroin-photo-woman-court/index.html