The GHA Partnership for Health and Accountability (PHA) recognizes patient safety as its top priority and describes the elements that support a culture of safety in health care organizations, including a pervasive commitment to patient safety, open communication, a blame-free environment, and safety designs that prevent future errors. PHA supports health equity and social determinants of health by providing education and resources to hospitals. PHA strengthens collaboration among providers, community members, and other stakeholders by providing education and data-driven tools to facilitate improvement.

The PHA Patient Safety and Quality Awards recognize health care organizations for their achievements in reducing the risk of medical errors and improving patient safety and medical outcomes.

Patient Safety Awareness Week Logo Contest

Winning Entry

The winning facility will be contacted directly in September 2023. The winning theme and logo will be unveiled during the 2024 GHA Patient Safety and Quality Summit. Staff from the winning hospital will receive one complimentary registration to the GHA Patient Safety and Quality Summit. Lapel pins with your logo will be given to your team.

Annual Schedule

• April 10 – Award applications open. Applications are posted on GHA website during National Patient Safety Week
• Sept. 15 – Applications due to GHA
• Oct. 1 – Applications are blind scored by third party judges
• Nov. 1 – Winners are (confidentially) notified
• Dec. 1 – Winners' abstracts due
• Jan. 8, 2024 – Winners are announced and presented their awards at the annual GHA Patient Safety and Quality Awards Luncheon.

(Specific dates and additional details will be announced as needed. Dates subject to change.)

Congratulations to the 2023 Award Winners!

Communities trust hospitals to provide quality care and education and use them as a resource for health, wellness, prevention and care. GHA partners with Alliant Health Solutions to provide assistance to members’ communities for the purpose of improving local health care and collaboration. The partnership aims to support local community efforts to improve a local and mutually agreed upon goal such as chronic disease management, care transitions, patient safety, or behavioral health.

The Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program (FLEX) aims to improve access to preventive and emergency health care services for rural populations. The Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP) is an initiative within FLEX that is funded through the Health Resources and Services Administration's Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) and funded to support quality improvement (QI) work with small rural hospitals.

The Hospital Quality Improvement Contract (HQIC) – The Georgia Hospital Association serves as a contractor to Alliant Health Solutions, who serves as a Hospital Quality Improvement Contractor to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) within its Network of Quality Improvement and Innovation Contractors.

• HQIC Webinars
• Coaching packages

The Small Rural Hospital Improvement Grant Program (SHIP) provides funding to more than 1,600 participating hospitals in 47 participating State Offices of Rural Health (SORH) to help small rural hospitals participate in various Affordable Care Act (ACA) delivery system reforms, such as value-based purchasing programs, accountable care organizations and payment bundling.

• 2022-2023 Flex and SHIP EDCAHPS Webinars
• 2021-2022 Flex and SHIP EDCAHPS Webinars

The Team Strategies & Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety (TeamSTEPPS™) establishes a systematic approach to all aspects of team training: assessment and readiness, planning, training and implementation, coaching and sustainment of teamwork behaviors. 

GHA Quality and Patient Safety Webinars 

Infection Preventionist Resource Book (Login Required)

Project Firstline

The Georgia Hospital Association partners with the Georgia Department of Public Health to provide educational resources as well as a professional network of infection prevention professionals through Project Firstline. This is an initiative that provides resources to infection prevention (IP) professionals so they can provide education to frontline clinical and non-clinical staff members. Resources and assistance to acquire a Certification in Infection Control (CIC) may also be made available. For additional information, please contact Peggy McGee at pmcgee@gha.org .

Healthcare Georgia Foundation, Maternal and Child Health Initiative

The Georgia Hospital Association partners with Healthcare Georgia Foundation to provide resources and education to hospitals and health care providers who desire to improve maternal and child health in Georgia. Due to well-documented disparities in minority maternal and child health outcomes, our program is primarily aimed at improving outcomes among minority populations.

To achieve this goal, GHA is encouraging all hospitals to consider the following:

• Implement perinatal care bundles, including reduction of peripartum disparities AIM bundle.
• Pursue maternal & neonatal designation ( “levels of care” or LOC I, II, III ).
• Join the Georgia Perinatal Quality Collaborative (GaPQC).
  (for additional information or assistance with any of the above, contact Lynne Hall at lhall@gha.org)
• Participate, and encourage others to participate, in GHA four-part Maternal & Child Health Outcomes education series. (for additional information see the GHA Calendar of Events page linked here or contact Andy Cobb at acobb@gha.org)