Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 21 / Thursday, January 31, 2013 / Notices 6819 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Agency for Healthcare Research and 

Quality 

Patient Safety Organizations: 

Voluntary Relinquishment From the 

BREF PSO 

AGENCY: Agency for Healthcare Research 

and Quality (AHRQ), HHS. 

ACTION: Notice of delisting. 

SUMMARY: The Patient Safety and 

Quality Improvement Act of 2005 

(Patient Safety Act), Public Law 109–41, 

42 U.S.C. 299b–21—b–26, provides 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 and Quality Improvement 

Final Rule (Patient Safety Rule), 42 CFR 

part 3, 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 no longer to 

meet the requirements of the Patient 

Safety Act and Patient Safety Rule, or 

when a PSO chooses to voluntarily 

relinquish its status as a PSO for any 

reason. AHRQ has accepted a 

notification of voluntary relinquishment 

from the BREF 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 December 23, 2012. 

ADDRESSES: Both directories can be 

accessed electronically at the following 

HHS Web site: http:// 

www.pso.AHRQ.gov/index.html. 

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: 

pso@AHRQ.hhs.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background 

The Patient Safety Act authorizes the 

listing of PSOs, which are entities or 

component organizations whose 

mission and primary activity is 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 (PDF file, 450 KB. PDF Help) 

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 no longer to meet the 

requirements of the Patient Safety Act 

and Patient Safety Rule, or when a PSO 

chooses to voluntarily relinquish its 

status as a PSO for any reason. 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 BREF PSO, PSO number 

P0035, which is a component entity of 

the Biomedical Research and Education 

Foundation, to voluntarily relinquish its 

status as a PSO. Accordingly, the BREF 

PSO was delisted effective at 12:00 

Midnight ET (2400) on December 23, 

2012. More information on PSOs can be 

obtained through AHRQ’s PSO Web site 

at http://www.pso.AHRQ.gov/ 

index.html. 

Dated: January 17, 2013. 

Carolyn M. Clancy, 

Director. 

[FR Doc. 2013–01908 Filed 1–30–13; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4160–90–M 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Agency for Healthcare Research and 

Quality 

Patient Safety Organizations: 

Voluntary Relinquishment From The 

Connecticut Hospital Association 

Federal Patient Safety Organization 

AGENCY: Agency for Healthcare Research 

and Quality (AHRQ), HHS. 

ACTION: Notice of delisting. 

SUMMARY: The Patient Safety and 

Quality Improvement Act of 2005 

(Patient Safety Act), Public Law 109–41, 

42 U.S.C. 299b–21—b–26, provides 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 and Quality Improvement 

Final Rule (Patient Safety Rule), 42 CFR 

part 3, 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 no longer to 

meet the requirements of the Patient 

Safety Act and Patient Safety Rule, or 

when a PSO chooses to voluntarily 

relinquish its status as a PSO for any 

reason. AHRQ has accepted a 

notification of voluntary relinquishment 

from The Connecticut Hospital 

Association Federal Patient Safety 

Organization 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 December 1, 2012. 

ADDRESSES: Both directories can be 

accessed electronically at the following 

HHS Web site: http:// 

www.pso.AHRQ.gov/index.html. 

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: 

pso@AHRQ.hhs.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background 

The Patient Safety Act authorizes the 

listing of PSOs, which are entities or 

component organizations whose 

mission and primary activity is 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 (PDF file, 450 KB. PDF Help) 

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 no longer to meet the 

requirements of the Patient Safety Act 

and Patient Safety Rule, or when a PSO 

chooses to voluntarily relinquish its 

status as a PSO for any reason. 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 Connecticut Hospital 

Association Federal Patient Safety 

Organization, PSO number P0070, 

which is a component entity of The 

Connecticut Healthcare Research and 

Education Foundation, Incorporated, to 

voluntarily relinquish its status as a 


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