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[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 211 (Wednesday, October 31, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65892-65893]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-26598]

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

Patient Safety Organizations: Voluntary Relinquishment From PDR 
Secure, LLC

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

ACTION: Notice of Delisting.

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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 PDR Secure, LLC 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 August 31, 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 PDR Secure, LLC, PSO number 
P0098, which is a component entity of PDR Network, LLC, to voluntarily 
relinquish its status as a PSO. Accordingly, PDR Secure, LLC was 
delisted effective at 12:00 Midnight ET (2400) on August 31, 2012. PDR 
Network, LLC represents that it has patient safety work product (PSWP) 
in its possession. The PSO is obligated to meet the requirements of 
section 3.108(c)(2)(i) of the Patient Safety Rule to notify the sources 
from which it received PSWP of the PSO's intention to cease PSO 
operations and activities, to relinquish voluntarily its status as a 
PSO, to request that these other entities

[[Page 65893]]

cease reporting or submitting any further information to the PSO as 
soon as possible, and to inform them that any information reported 
after the effective date and time of delisting will not be protected as 
PSWP under the Patient Safety Act. In addition, according to section 
3.108(c)(2)(ii) of the Patient Safety Rule regarding disposition of 
PSWP, the PSO has 90 days from the effective date of delisting and 
revocation to complete the disposition of PSWP that is currently in the 
PSO's possession.
    More information on PSOs can be obtained through AHRQ's PSO Web 
site at http://www.pso.AHRQ.gov/index.html.

    Dated: October 12, 2012.
Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director.
[FR Doc. 2012-26598 Filed 10-30-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-90-M
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