[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 210 (Monday, October 31, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 75401-75402]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-26144]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality


Patient Safety Organizations: Voluntary Relinquishment From the 
Patient Safety Leadership Council 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, establish a framework by which hospitals, doctors, 
and other health care providers may voluntarily report information to 
Patient Safety Organizations (PSOs), on a privileged and confidential 
basis, for the aggregation and analysis of patient safety events. 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 the Patient Safety Leadership Council PSO of its 
status as a PSO, and has delisted the PSO accordingly. The Patient 
Safety Leadership Council PSO submitted this request for voluntary 
relinquishment after receiving a Notice of Preliminary Finding of 
Deficiency.

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 September 30, 2016.

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, 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 06N94B, 
Rockville, MD 20857; Telephone (toll free): (866) 403-3697; Telephone 
(local):

[[Page 75402]]

(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 a 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 the Patient Safety Leadership 
Council PSO, PSO number P0164, to voluntarily relinquish its status as 
a PSO. Accordingly, the Patient Safety Leadership Council PSO was 
delisted effective at 12:00 Midnight ET (2400) on September 30, 2016. 
AHRQ notes that the Patient Safety Leadership Council PSO submitted 
this request for voluntary relinquishment following receipt of the 
Notice of Preliminary Finding of Deficiency sent on September 1, 2016.
    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. 2016-26144 Filed 10-28-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4160-90-P