Recipients of the 11th annual BC Health Care Awards were announced on June 26th at a gala luncheon in Vancouver. Twelve Gold Apple and six Award of Merit recipients were honoured, amoung the recipients are Interior Health.
Presented by the Health Employers Association of British Columbia (HEABC), the BC Health Care Awards recognize British Columbians who are providing outstanding care and support. Awards are given in 11 categories to projects improving health care delivery through innovative and collaborative approaches and to people making a positive impact and inspiring those around them.
Interior Health was awarded a Gold Apple in the Collaborative Solutions category for its Insulin Safety Initiative.
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Interior Health Authority’s Insulin Safety Initiative (ISI) was a large collaborative, multi- stakeholder, multi-site project designed to mitigate serious medication errors involving insulin and to standardize practice in this area. A major component of the project was to implement a standardized pre-filled insulin pen delivery system to replace the traditional vial and syringe.
Although the pens offer several practical and safety advantages, they do carry unintended patient safety risks if used improperly.
Recognizing this, Interior Health implemented a number of safeguards and practice changes related to insulin ordering, dispensing, administration and documentation. Interior Health’s post-implementation evaluation indicates that these safety processes are well established in practice. The project serves as a model for inter-professional collaboration, effective knowledge translation and the adoption of system- wide best practices.
Congratulations, Interior Health!
