ISMP CHEERS AWARD for Healthcare Organizations

Nomination Criteria for Hospitals and Healthcare Organizations

The ISMP CHEERS AWARD for Healthcare Organizations is presented to institutions that demonstrate a dynamic and enthusiastic commitment to medication-use safety through innovative and creative projects, programs, educational efforts, and/or research. Winning institutions ensure that momentum for implementation of medication safety strategies stretches far beyond a few individuals or a single department and is fully integrated into the organization’s culture and clinical practice. These organizations have accepted a medication safety philosophy that is recognized by other healthcare facilities as a model to be emulated.

Click here to see listing of past recipients

For an organization to be considered for the award they must have:

• Accreditation by an appropriate professional body for the applying Healthcare facility (e.g., Ambulatory Care; Assisted Living; Behavioral Health care; Critical Access Hospital; Healthcare Networks; Hospitals; Healthcare Systems; Laboratory; Long-term Care; Office-Based Surgical Practices)
• Executive leadership commitment that supports medication safety activities (e.g. participation in organizational assessments and surveys, learning collaboratives, recognition of medication safety as a priority in its strategic plan with specifically articulated goals and objectives). In addition, a Leadership Declaration must be signed by two executive members of the organization and returned to ISMP
• Organizational understanding of the role that complex systems play within the medication-use process. This is publicly acknowledged by the selection of strategies that demonstrate a “systems” understanding
• Evidence that shared learning from other internally designed medication safety programs/initiatives are disseminated and utilized for organizational improvement and awareness. Samples of in-house newsletters and new employee orientation materials would serve this purpose
• Evidence that programs/processes have been effective for a minimum of one year
• Recognition and documentation of barriers that impact implementation of medication safety programs and have taken action for dismantling them
• Encouraged staff participation in an external voluntary medication error-reporting program (through educational programs and/or policies) that underscores the understanding that reporting is a proactive method in the prevention of medication errors
• Willingness to share learning beyond the organization (e.g., presentations or articles have been written and widely disseminated; tools shared on intranet, newsletters) to practitioners and/or consumer audiences
• Submitted a Leadership & Interdisciplinary Declaration to ISMP

For an organization to be considered for the award their initiative should exhibit the following characteristics:

• Ability to work successfully in teams. A zero tolerance policy for intimidating behaviors is implemented and demonstrated by the organization
• Failures are seen as learning opportunities
• Safety approaches regularly include patient interaction
• Technology is used to increase the reliability and effectiveness of the medication process

Application For Healthcare Organization Submission

Please provide brief answers to the following questions using the referenced award criteria above. Attachments and other materials illustrating the activity or its effectiveness may be included in the submission.

The descriptive narrative should be no longer than seven (7) double-spaced typed pages and must include:

1. A brief synopsis of the medication safety initiative being submitted for award consideration.
2. A description of the timeline, strategies, implementation/actions used to launch and sustain the initiative
3. An outline of the measurements used to illustrate the effectiveness of the initiative over time.
4. A discussion of “lessons learned” from the experience that will help your hospital/department/team approach future medication safety improvement initiatives.

[Click here to see the nomination checklist]

The current nomination submission period begins 5/7/2008 and ends at midnight, 9/12/2008