[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 61 (Monday, March 31, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18031-18032]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-07097]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality


Patient Safety Organizations: Expired Listing From Society of 
Hospital Medicine PSO

AGENCY: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Department 
of Health and Human Services (HHS).

ACTION: Notice of Delisting.

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SUMMARY: The Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005, 42 
U.S.C. 299b-21 to b-26, (Patient Safety Act) and the related Patient 
Safety and Quality Improvement Final Rule, 42 CFR Part 3 (Patient 
Safety Rule), published in the Federal Register on November 21, 2008, 
73 FR 70732-70814, provide for the formation of

[[Page 18032]]

Patient Safety Organizations (PSOs), which collect, aggregate, and 
analyze confidential information regarding the quality and safety of 
healthcare delivery. The Patient Safety Rule authorizes AHRQ, on behalf 
of the Secretary of HHS, to list as a PSO an entity that attests that 
it meets the statutory and regulatory requirements for listing. A PSO 
can be ``delisted'' by the Secretary if it is found to no longer meet 
the requirements of the Patient Safety Act and Patient Safety Rule, 
when a PSO chooses to voluntarily relinquish its status as a PSO for 
any reason, or when a PSO's listing expires. The listing from the 
Society of Hospital Medicine PSO has expired and AHRQ has delisted the 
PSO accordingly.

DATES: The directories for both listed and delisted PSOs are ongoing 
and reviewed weekly by AHRQ. The delisting was effective at 12:00 
Midnight ET (2400) on February 15, 2014.

ADDRESSES: Both directories can be accessed electronically at the 
following HHS Web site: http://www.pso.AHRQ.gov/index.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Eileen Hogan, Center for Quality 
Improvement and Patient Safety, AHRQ, 540 Gaither Road, Rockville, MD 
20850; Telephone (toll free): (866) 403-3697; Telephone (local): (301) 
427-1111; TTY (toll free): (866) 438-7231; TTY (local): (301) 427-1130; 
Email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The Patient Safety Act authorizes the listing of PSOs, which are 
entities or component organizations whose mission and primary activity 
are to conduct activities to improve patient safety and the quality of 
health care delivery.
    HHS issued the Patient Safety Rule to implement the Patient Safety 
Act. AHRQ administers the provisions of the Patient Safety Act and 
Patient Safety Rule relating to the listing and operation of PSOs. The 
Patient Safety Rule authorizes AHRQ to list as a PSO an entity that 
attests that it meets the statutory and regulatory requirements for 
listing. A PSO can be ``delisted'' if it is found to no longer meet the 
requirements of the Patient Safety Act and Patient Safety Rule, when a 
PSO chooses to voluntarily relinquish its status as a PSO for any 
reason, or when the PSO's listing expires. Section 3.108(d) of the 
Patient Safety Rule requires AHRQ to provide public notice when it 
removes an organization from the list of federally approved PSOs.
    The Society of Hospital Medicine PSO, PSO number P0105, a component 
entity of the Society of Hospital Medicine, chose to let its listing 
expire by not seeking continued listing. Accordingly, Society of 
Hospital Medicine PSO was delisted effective at 12:00 Midnight ET 
(2400) on February 15, 2014.
    More information on PSOs can be obtained through AHRQ's PSO Web 
site at http://www.pso.AHRQ.gov/index.html.

    Dated: March 21, 2014.
Richard Kronick,
Director.
[FR Doc. 2014-07097 Filed 3-28-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-90-P