Minnesota Hospital Association

Newsroom

January 28, 2020

Hennepin Healthcare nurse receives MHA Good Catch for Patient Safety Award

A Hennepin Healthcare medical surgical unit nurse has received the award that recognizes hospital professionals who demonstrate their commitment to keeping patients safe by speaking up to prevent a potential patient safety issue. 

Registered nurse Melissa Walker accepted the quarterly MHA Good Catch for Patient Safety Award at a presentation on Jan. 13 alongside her unit care team members and organizational leaders. 

During a night shift, a diabetic patient was experiencing very low blood sugar. The care team looked at the patient’s chart and noticed that hypoglycemia orders, which they expected to find, were not present. 

After taking quick action to address the patient’s low blood sugar, Walker reviewed the charts of other diabetic patients on the unit and observed that they were also missing standard hypoglycemia orders. She escalated the concern using Hennepin Healthcare’s tiered huddle system and the clinical informatics team found that a recent technology upgrade had inadvertently removed the hypoglycemia protocol from the standard order set. The informatics team was able to fix the issue within hours of it being reported, restoring appropriate orders to the charts of diabetic patients. 

“It is because of actions taken every day by dedicated professionals like Melissa that Minnesota hospitals and health systems continue to be front-runners in patient safety,” said Dr. Rahul Koranne, chief medical officer, MHA. “Providing high-quality care to our patients increasingly requires health care staff to work closely with information technology. This good catch exemplifies how front-line vigilance, a continuous learning mindset and teamwork across professions is key to providing high-quality care across our state.” 

Visit the MHA website to complete nominate an employee or team for the award. To learn more, contact Tania Daniels, vice president of quality and patient safety, MHA, 651-603-3517.