GrandRounds Local Pediatrician Offering Free Online Pediatric Symptom Checker Dr. Robert Weiss has joined an elite group of physicians around the country offering free online access to pediatric specific, peer-reviewed health information designed specifically for parents and other caregivers. All parents deserve to have a go-to source for trusted information - in the middle of the night, when physicians’ offices are closed, or whenever they are concerned and want to learn more said Sarasota Pediatrician Dr. Robert Weiss. Configured in a first-of-its-kind pediatric symptom checker, the Is Your Child Sick? function located atwww.weisscare. com provides advice for over 100 symptoms and illnesses common in kids, along with a medicine dosage guide, and an easy-to-use resource for a variety of medical conditions. Unlike general search engines that may have misleading, unverifiable, or inaccurate information, Is Your Child Sick?provides health care advice via nationally recognized pediatric protocols written by Barton Schmitt, MD, Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, Medical Director of the After-Hours Call Center at The Children’s Hospital of Denver, and author of parent triage and telephone protocol materials utilized in nearly 20,000 physician practices. A peer review process ensures that parents can trust that all articles and acute care information are up-to-date, accurate and reliable. When Nicole Coggin, whose son is a Weiss Pediatric Care patient, learned
about the symptom checker during a recent office, she had no idea how quickly it would be a source of guidance and comfort. That evening her son’s asthma symptoms began to worry her so she went online to review the symptom checker. Is Your Child Sick? describes signs and symptoms of specific illnesses, offers at home care advice, and provides guidelines for when to call the doctor and when to seek emergency care. The information, offered by Weiss Pediatric Care as a community service, is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice.
Three HCA West Florida Hospitals Earn an “A” Patient Safety Score Medical Center of Trinity, Oak Hill Hospital and Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point have been recognized with an “A” safety score by The Leapfrog Group, an independent non-profit run by employers and other large purchasers of health benefits. The score was awarded in the latest update to the Hospital Safety ScoreSM, the ABCD or F scores assigned to U.S. hospitals based on preventable medical errors, injuries, accidents, and infections. The Hospital Safety Score was compiled under the guidance of the nation’s leading experts on patients’ safety. “Earning an ‘A’ on the Hospital Safety Score demonstrates that our hospital continues to strive for excellence,” said Leigh Massengill, CEO, Medical Center of Trinity. “This demonstrates that the three hospitals in our Pasco-Hernando Area value patient safety. This is one
more indication that we are ‘walking the walk’ in fulfilling its mission, vision and values,” she added. Several HCA hospitals received an “A” rating demonstrating that Tampa Bay’s largest health system focuses on making hospitals safe for its patients. To see the hospitals’ scores as they compare nationally, visit the Hospital Safety Score website atwww.HospitalSafetyScore.org, which provides information on how the public can protect themselves and loved ones during the hospital stay. Scores were awarded to for-profit hospitals, not-for-profits and public hospitals throughout the nation. Not all hospitals earned an “A.” The Hospital Safety Score exclusively measures safety – meaning errors, accidents and infections.
Florida Blue and Tampa Bay Integrated Healthcare Network Form Accountable Care Program Florida Blue and Tampa Bay Integrated Healthcare Network (TBIH) have announced the launch of an accountable care program to improve the quality and efficiency of patient care in the Tampa Bay area. An accountable care program allows an insurer to collaborate with a network of providers, sharing in the medical and financial responsibility for a group of patients. The coordination of care helps ensure that patients get the right care at the right time, and focuses on improving the health care experience. The partnership between Florida Blue and TBIH provides care to (CONTINUED ON PAGE 11)
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