Partnership for Patients Meeting Participant Goal

Nearly 4,500 organizations — including more than 2,000 hospitals — have pledged their support for Partnership for Patients, meeting the Obama administration’s hospital goal in less than three months. Partnership for Patients aims to reduce preventable harm in hospitals by 40 percent in the next three years, including a reduction in the number of preventable in-hospital medication errors, central-line associated bloodstream infections, falls and other injuries. It also seeks to help patients heal successfully after discharge, targeting unnecessary return visits to reduce 30- day hospital readmissions by 20 percent over the next three years. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the partnership has the potential to save up to $35 billion in healthcare costs, including up to $10 billion for Medicare. And, over the next 10 years, the partnership could reduce costs to Medicare by about $50 billion and result in billions more in Medicaid savings.