• Methadone Associated Overdose Deaths 
Factors Contributing to Increased Deaths and Efforts to Prevent Them

• Physicians Charged with Opioid Analgesic-Prescribing Offenses 
The study identified 725 doctors, representing an estimated .1% of practicing patient care physicians, who were charged between 1998 and 2006 with criminal and/or administrative offenses related to prescribing opioid analgesics.

• NCSBN - Transition to Practice Initiatives
Description of NCSBN's Transition to Practice Model: This model is intended to be implemented with education and practice, but through regulation. This is an inclusive model, which would take place in all health care settings that hire newly graduated nurses and for all education levels of nurses. Patient safety, error reduction and retention of staff are just a few areas this model hopes to impact.

• Is Ambulatory Patient Safety Just Like Hospital Safety? 
Editorial by Robert M. Wachter, M.D., University of California, published in the October 2006 issues of the Annals of Internal Medicine

• Surgical Safety Checklist 
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently issued guidelines aimed at reducing complications and deaths from the rising numbers of operations now being performed. The guidelines are a list of simple safety checks that WHO says could reduce the rate of surgical complications by 50 percent. The list offers simple checks to improve anesthetic safety practices, avoid infections and improve communication among members of surgical teams.

• Behaviors that undermine a culture of safety
The Joint Commission has published a Sentinel Event Alert regarding disruptive and inappropriate behavior by health professionals and how this behavior can affect patient safety.

• Early Detection and Screening for Prostate and Colorectal Cancer 
Results from the Knowledge, Attitudes and Practice (KAP) Survey report. This report highlights findings from surveys sent to health care providers in Michigan about their knowledge, attitudes, and practices with respect to prostate and colorectal cancer.

• Free Web Based Tobacco Training Program for Health Care Providers 
The MDCH Tobacco Section is pleased to announce a new, free web based tobacco training program titled "Treating Tobacco Dependence in Michigan: Implementing Effective Cessation Interventions and Systems". Produced and presented by the MDCH in conjunction with the Michigan Smokefree Hospitals Grant, the training is designed to help health care providers implement evidence based patient cessation intervention and systems change in order to decrease tobacco use.

• Michigan Cancer Consortium Revised Guidelines for the Early Detection of Breast Cancer 

• Family Activated Rapid Response Teams or "Condition H"
The "Condition H" model was created to address the needs of the patient and family in case of an emergency or when the patient is unable to get the attention of a healthcare provider in an emergency situation. When "Condition H" is called, a rapid response team arrives to the patient's bedside within minutes.

• MHA Keystone Center for Patient Safety & Quality
MHA Keystone brings together hospitals, national experts and best practice evidence to improve patient safety by addressing the quality of health care delivery at the bedside.

• Public Education Resources for Healthcare Providers
Public Education Resources for Healthcare Providers - All AGS Foundation for Health in Aging public education resources are available in ready-to-print format. Health care providers are encouraged to print and share these with their patients.

• Handwashing - Article by Christine L. Case, Ed.D., Microbiology Professor at Skyline College
This fascinating article is about the importance of handwashing amongst physicians and midwives as far back as the 1840's, and how advocates of this simple task were met with resistance.

• Practices to Improve Handwashing Compliance
Article by Ebbing Lautenbach, M.D., M.P.H., MSCE University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

• Leadership Committed to Safety
The Joint Commission has published a Sentinel Event Alert regarding the critical function leadership plays in promoting high quality, safe health care. When a sentinel event occurs in a health care organization, inadequate or ineffective leadership is often one of the contributing factors.

• Michigan Chosen for National Pilot Project to Reduce Avoidable Rehospitalizations

• FDA to Meet with Drug Companies about REMS for Certain Opioid Drugs
Information from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration

• Patient Safety and Workforce Retention: Lessons Learned from Simulation Research in Healthcare
Video Presentation by Captain William Hamman, M.D., Ph.D.

• "Speak Up" about Pain
Joint Commission Urges Patients to "Speak Up" about Pain, News Release dated September 16, 2008

• "Speak Up" Brochure 
Informational brochure for patients about speaking up about pain management, prepared by the Joint Commission.