National Time Out to Share Day – Healthcare Safety

ClearCount has been featured here a couple of times and related links are below. The company is promoting a contest to take entries for the best patient safety stories, so perhaps from the contest some new and potential innovative ideas could arise. The details are listed below for the contest and you can also read about what the ClearCount Sponge system does with technology, to check and make sure nothing is left inside after surgery. The sponges use inexpensive RFID tags. BD

ClearCount Medical Solutions receives FDA clearance - checking for surgical sponges

Sponge Count – Suture for a Living

From June 17 to June 24: ClearCount's Web Site Taking Entries for the Best Patient Safety Stories from OR Teams

PITTSBURGH, Pa., June 16, 2009 – ClearCount Medical Solutions, an innovator of patient safety solutions for the operating room, announced today that it is taking entries for best patient safety stories from OR teams, during its "Time Out to Share” campaign. This awards contest complements the Association of periOperative Nurses (AORN) video contest held in honor of National Time Out Day, June 17, for which ClearCount has provided financial support. The prize for the winning submission is a copy of the AORN Recommended Procedures Manual. Submissions can be made at the www.clearcount.com between June 17 and 24. The award winners will be announced in July and may be publicized by ClearCount in the spirit of sharing best practice patient safety stories.

National Time Out day was created by the AORN to remind surgical teams about the importance of the Joint Commission's Universal Protocol that all OR teams take a "time out” preceding every surgical procedure, in which the entire team communicates as a group to confirm key information.

"We strongly support the adoption of surgical processes and technologies to improve patient safety, and this can only be achieved through the commitment and hard work of the surgical team,” said David Palmer, CEO, ClearCount Medical Solutions. "We wanted to support, recognize, and publicize the hard work of those that make the commitment to improving patient safety in every surgical procedure.”

ClearCount's SmartSponge System is the first and only system to incorporate the efficiency of counting with the safety of detection for the prevention of retained surgical sponges. The SmartSponge System is the only system to provide continuous vs. episodic counting. Providing an average of 80,000 counts per procedure, this continuous counting benefit provides valuable assurance in every surgical case.

About ClearCount Medical Solutions

ClearCount Medical Solutions is a medical device company focused on patient safety solutions. ClearCount has assembled an extendable RFID-based platform that provides a comprehensive solution to drive efficiency while preventing medical errors. ClearCount's SmartSponge® System is the only FDA-cleared, RFID-enabled system for counting and detecting surgical sponges. The SmartSponge System is reconciliation and detection solution that improves patient and O.R. safety, enhances operational efficiency, and reduces cost. The company's Operating Procedures have received the AORN Seal of Recognition, and its SmartSponge System was recently recognized by TIME Magazine. To learn more, visit www.clearcount.com.