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CT hospital slashes door-to-balloon times to reduce patient harm.

A dramatic improvement in door-to-balloon times for STEMI patients is one example of how John Dempsey Hospital at the University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington, CT, is using checklists and other tools for standardization to improve safety and care. The hospital is part of a three-year statewide initiative of the Connecticut Hospital Association to adopt high-reliability practices and eliminate errors that cause patient harm. The approach is enabling hospitals to learn from each other and share best practices that facilitate improvement. By putting all the materials needed to handle a STEMI patient in a portable "tackle box" and establishing a formal review process for all STEMI cases, Dempsey Hospital was able to trim dismal door-to-balloon times down to a median of 46.5 minutes for 2013, exceeding both state and national median times. The hospital is using multidisciplinary teams to focus on problems and devise solutions. The hospital now holds daily safety huddles to keep the staff focused on a patient-first approach. Administrators also distribute weekly and monthly publications to keep staff apprised about safety events, success stories, and the latest data. To reduce patient harm, more than 3,000 staff members will undergo training on high-reliability techniques.