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[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 222 (Thursday, November 17, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Page 71345]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-29666]

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

Patient Safety Organizations: Voluntary Relinquishment From 
Emergency Medicine Patient Safety Foundation

AGENCY: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), HHS.

ACTION: Notice of Delisting.

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SUMMARY: AHRQ has accepted a notification of voluntary relinquishment 
from Emergency Medicine Patient Safety Foundation of its status as a 
Patient Safety Organization (PSO). The Patient Safety and Quality 
Improvement Act of 2005 (Patient Safety Act), Public Law 109-41, 42 
U.S.C. 299b21-b-26, provides for the formation of 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 
to no longer meet the requirements of the Patient Safety Act and 
Patient Safety Rule, including when a PSO chooses to voluntarily 
relinquish its status as a PSO for any reason.

DATES: The directories for both listed and delisted PSOs are ongoing 
and reviewed weekly by AHRQ. The delisting was effective at 12:00 
Midnight E.T. (2400) on October 11, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Both directories can be accessed electronically at the 
following HHS Web site: http://www.pso.AHRQ.gov/index.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Susan Grinder, 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. 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 Emergency Medicine Patient Safety 
Foundation, PSO number P0062, which is a component entity of Emergency 
Physicians Insurance Co. RRG (EPIC) to voluntarily relinquish its 
status as a PSO. Accordingly, the Emergency Medicine Patient Safety 
Foundation was delisted effective at 12:00 Midnight E.T. (2400) on 
October 11, 2011.
    More information on PSOs can be obtained through AHRQ's PSO Web 
site at http://www.pso.AHRQ.gov/index.html.

    Dated: October 28, 2011.
Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director.
[FR Doc. 2011-29666 Filed 11-16-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-90-M
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