(Internal Newsletter template for Time Out Campaign)
XXXXX joins Minnesota Time Out Campaign
Effort aims to eliminate wrong-site surgical/invasive events
XXXXXX has joined the Minnesota Time Out Campaign, an effort by the Minnesota Safe Surgery Coalition to eliminate wrong-site surgical/invasive procedures in Minnesota by conducting the five key Time Out steps for every patient, every procedure, every time.
“In recent years, the number of surgical/invasive procedure events, particularly wrong-site events, has increased in our state,” said XXXXX (insert CEO/President’s name, hospital name). “Many of these events are related to the lack of an effective Time Out that includes visualization of the site mark and active participation by all procedural team members.”
We pledge to keep all of our patients safe by having all staff in our organization complete all steps of the Time Out process and to speak up and not move forward with a procedure until these important steps have been completed, said XXXX (insert CEO-President’s last name).
The Minnesota Time Out Campaign, with a tagline of “take 60 seconds to get it right (or left),” launched (or will launch) on June 15.
Time-Out Steps (in order)1. / Person performing the procedure initiates the time-out (calls the team together).
2. / All other activity ceases.
3. / Designated staff, other than person performing procedure (OR – circulator), verbally states patient name, procedure and location while referring to source documents. (In the OR, ACP also provides patient name and procedure from their documentation; scrub states procedure set up for).
4. / Designated staff, other than person performing procedure (OR – scrub), locates and verbally confirms visualization of site mark and states where it is located.
5. / Person performing procedure states procedure including side/site from memory.
(Hospital/facility may insert the following: Activities to “kick-off” the campaign; steps the facility will be taking to implement the Time Out across the organization; and the facility’s expectation for speaking up if the full Time Out is not completed and how physicians/staff will be supported if they do speak up).