General Information

Calendar of Events: [DOC]
Roadmap: [PDF]
Protocol -- Prevention of Unintentionally Retained Foreign Objects During Vaginal Deliveries: [PDF]
Training video for steps in the counting process: [Click to view]

Slide Presentations:
"Welcome and Overview of the SAFE COUNT Initiative, April 30, 2008," Julie Apold, Director of Patient Safety, Minnesota Hospital Association: [PPT]

"Nothing Left Behind: A National Surgical Patient Safety Project to Prevent Retained Surgical Items," Verna C. Gibbs, M.D., professor of clinical surgery, UCSF and staff surgeon, SFVAMC: [part I: PDF] and [part II: PDF]

"Best Practices in Preventing Retained Objects in Vaginal Deliveries," Carol Clark, M.S.N., R.N., Nurse Manager Labor & Delivery, Fairview Health Services, Minneapolis and Stephanie Lach, M.S.N., M.B.A., R.N., Patient Safety Director, Regions Hospital, St. Paul: [PPT]

'"Applying Human Factors Principles for an Effective Counting Process," Kathleen A. Harder, Ph.D., Center for Human Factors Systems Research and Design, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis: [PPT]

"Retained Objects Learnings from Minnesota Reporting," Diane Rydrych, Assistant Director, Division of Health Policy, Minnesota Department of Health: [PPT]

"Implementation Stories from the Field"; Becky Walkes, B.S.N., R.N., Nurse Manager, Obstetrics and Letitia L. Fath, M.S., R.N., Nurse Administrator, Mayo Clinic, Rochester: [PPT]

"Improving Participation: A Physician Perspective," Kathryn Flory, M.D., Chief of OB/GYN, North Memorial Health Care, Robbinsdale: [PPT]

MHA conference calls:
--Sept. 17, 2008: [listen]
--June 18, 2008: [listen]

Tools

In addition to the tools available in the SAFE COUNT Tool Kit (see yellow box below), the following are new tools recently submitted by Minnesota hospitals:

• Sponge/Needle Count Audit Form for Vaginal Deliveries: [DOC]
  
• Count Audit Tool: [DOC]
  
• Observation Tool: [XLS]
  
• Chart Audit Tool: [XLS]
  
• Safe Count Staff Education presentation: [PPT]