May 29, 2025

Q&A with Barbara Lewis on using metrics to demonstrate the value of Patient and Family and Advisory Councils

Ever since her sister Joan died in 2012 following weeks in intensive care, Barbara Lewis, M.B.A., has championed Patient and Family Advisory Councils as a PFAC leader, non-profit founder, researcher and Ph.D. candidate. Lewis urges all PFACs to collect data, especially outcome measures, to track their performance and demonstrate the value of PFACs to health care leaders and organizations. Before keynoting the Betsy Lehman Center’s PFAC Spring Forum earlier this month, Lewis talked with Patient Safety Beat about the role of measurement and how hospitals can begin gathering data.

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Cost of harm in Massachusetts hospitals pegged at $2.14 billion annually; opportunity for significant savings proposed

In an update to a report published in 2019, the Betsy Lehman Center estimates that health plans and other payers in the state spend $2.14 billion each year for additional care of patients harmed during hospitalizations. To reduce patient harm and the associated cost, the Center is seeking state investment in a pilot to bring automated adverse event monitoring to the state. This new approach scans electronic medical records to detect harm events in near real-time, helping acute care hospital teams improve safety as part of daily operations. Hospitals using this technology in other states have reduced harm events by 25% on average, which translates to $536 million in savings to payers in Massachusetts, including $111 million for MassHealth.

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Pennsylvania's patient safety database tops 300,000 reports, a first in 2024

The state of Pennsylvania maintains the largest patient safety data repository of its kind, offering insights for improvement work in Massachusetts and elsewhere in the country. Pennsylvania’s Patient Safety Authority, manages the repository, which received more than 300,000 reports in 2024, a new record. PSA Executive Director Regina M. Hoffman, M.B.A., R.N., notes that “the increase in reporting…is associated with a culture that supports and prioritizes safety.” She also reviews other news in the PSA 2024 Annual Report.

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Upcoming events

May 29

12 - 1 p.m.

Communication and Resolution Programs: Achieving Accountability and Transparency for CMS Structural Measure Domain 4. Melinda Van Niel, Director of CARe Programs at the Betsy Lehman Center, and Peter Smulowitz, M.D., on how to implement these programs and the technical support available to health care facilities across the state. A free webinar from the Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association. Register here

Jun 11

11 a.m. - 12 p.m.

High Reliability Learning Series: Using AI to Improve Healthcare and Patient Safety. A webinar for healthcare leaders about the latest advancements and applications in AI to improve patient safety. From Press Ganey, with Tejal Gandhi, MD, Chief Safety and Transformation Officer and Mike Thompson, Chief Analytics Officer, as well as Ajay Kumar, MD, MBA, Chief Clinical Officer, Hartford HealthCare. Register here

Jun 18

12 - 1 p.m.

PFAC Spring Forum Better Together: Supporting Family Presence and Participation to Improve Safety and Quality. The Institute for Patient- and Family-Centered Care hosts an informal conversation on policies, strategies, best practices, and resources for engaging care partners in care and decision-making to ensure safety and quality. Register here

The Betsy Lehman Center is a Massachusetts state agency that supports providers, patients and policymakers working together to advance the safety and quality of health care.

BetsyLehmanCenterMA.gov