2008 Cardinal Health Patient Safety Grant Recipients >
Santa Clara Valley Medical Center and VMC Foundation
Building a Safe Bridge Between Inpatient and Outpatient Settings for Patients Requiring Anticoagulation
Team members
Anticoagulation team members (left to right):
- Donna Chin, Jen Huang, Sandy Peterson, RN, Elisabeth Mailhot, MD, Tom Bush, MD
- *Note – these are not all of the anticoagulation team members, but a representation of the team.
This initiative will create a safer bridge for patients who require anticoagulation and are transitioning from inpatient to outpatient settings through three main components: The program will help to reduce the rate of preventable thrombosis in high risk inpatients by guiding providers to administer appropriate therapeutic interventions. The coordination of educational programs and improvement of the inpatient management of warfarin will significantly reduce the risk of excessive anticoagulation or thrombosis due to incorrect medication dosing. The early entry of inpatients into a Protime registry will reduce excess readmissions experienced if there is a gap in care between a patient's discharge and subsequent enrollment in the outpatient Protime clinic. Funds from Cardinal Health will support the development of advanced software, a teaching program for staff and patients, and monitoring of compliance and success of the program.
This project will be implemented at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center (VMC), a 524-bed acute-care teaching hospital and research institution dedicated to the health of the whole community. As the busiest hospital in the region, VMC cares for over 25,000 hospitalized patients and provides over 700,000 outpatient and emergency visits annually - in all, providing health services to 1 in 4 residents of Santa Clara County. 85% of VMC's patients do not have private health insurance. VMC is the only hospital in the county with an open-door policy that guarantees access to medical care, regardless of ability to pay.
Program inquiries
Dr. Pat Kearns
Director of Chronic Care Management
Phone: 408.885.6319
Valley Medical Center Foundation
2400 Moorpark Ave. Suite 207
San Jose, CA 95128
U.S.A. - English
