Milestones

The Hospitalist. 2006 April;2006(04):

April 1, 2006 | The Hospitalist

Dr. Pantilat is the outgoing president of SHM.

Letters

Communication: A Risky Business

I was interviewed for “Risky Business” in the February 2006 issue of The Hospitalist. During the telephone interview I referred to “sentinel events” and “root cause analysis.” Unfortunately, there was a communication issue between the writer and me, and I am quoted as saying “seminal events” and “group cause analysis.”

I believe this event emphasizes the importance of communication in healthcare and clearly shows what we are seeing in our root cause analysis meetings: Communication issues are at the root of the problem in 75% of the cases that we review. It is so important that we speak clearly and verify what we are hearing—or think we are hearing.

I appreciate the focus on risk management in your publication and keeping hospitalists across the country informed about these issues.

—Sally Whitaker, RN, BSN, CPHRM, Rex Hospital, Raleigh, N.C.

Correction

Sanofi Aventis Sponsorship

In the article “Improve Glycemic Control in Inpatients” (p. 8, Feb. 2006), the authors incorrectly indicated that Sanofi Aventis supported the SHM Multidisciplinary Group through a “grant.” In fact, Sanofi Aventis supported the group through a sponsorship. TH