[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 170 (Wednesday, September 2, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Page 53154]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-21720]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality


Patient Safety Organizations: Voluntary Relinquishment From Safe 
Pediatric Healthcare 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 Patient Safety 
Organizations (PSOs), which collect, aggregate, and analyze 
confidential information regarding the quality and safety of health 
care 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. AHRQ has accepted a 
notification of voluntary relinquishment from Safe Pediatric Healthcare 
PSO of its status as a PSO, and 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 August 1, 2015.

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

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.
    AHRQ has accepted a notification from Safe Pediatric Healthcare 
PSO, a component entity of Childrens National Medical Center and 
Spectrum Health Hospitals dba Helen DeVos Children's Hospital, PSO 
number P0132, to voluntarily relinquish its status as a PSO. 
Accordingly, Safe Pediatric Healthcare PSO was delisted effective at 
12:00 Midnight ET (2400) on August 1, 2015.
    More information on PSOs can be obtained through AHRQ's PSO Web 
site at http://www.pso.ahrq.gov/.

Sharon B. Arnold,
Deputy Director.
[FR Doc. 2015-21720 Filed 9-1-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4160-90-P