Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 140 / Friday, July 20, 2012 / Notices 42737 

of Defense (DoD), and the Department of 

Veterans Affairs (VA). 

Since February 2005, AHRQ has 

convened the PSWG to assist AHRQ 

with developing and maintaining the 

Common Formats. The PSWG includes 

major health agencies within HHS— 

CDC, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 

Services, FDA, Health Resources and 

Services Administration, Indian Health 

Service, National Institutes of Health, 

National Library of Medicine, Office of 

the National Coordinator for Health 

Information Technology, Office of 

Public Health and Science, and 

Substance Abuse and Mental Health 

Services Administration—as well as the 

DoD and VA. 

When developing Common Formats, 

AHRQ first reviews existing patient 

safety event reporting systems from a 

variety of health care organizations. In 

collaboration with the PSWG and 

Federal subject matter experts, AHRQ 

drafts and releases beta versions of the 

Common Formats for public review and 

comment. The PSWG assists AHRQ 

with assuring the consistency of 

definitions/formats with those of 

relevant government agencies as 

refinement of the Common Formats 

continues. To the extent practicable, the 

Common Formats are also aligned with 

World Health Organization (WHO) 

concepts, framework, and definitions 

contained in their draft International 

Classification for Patient Safety (ICPS). 

Commenting on Common Format— 

Readmissions Version 0.1 Beta 

To allow for greater participation by 

the private sector in the subsequent 

development of the Common Formats, 

AHRQ engaged the NQF, a non-profit 

organization focused on health care 

quality, to solicit comments and advice 

to guide the further refinement of the 

Common Formats. The NQF then 

convenes an expert panel to review the 

comments received and provide 

feedback. The NQF began this process 

with feedback on AHRQ’s 0.1 Beta 

release of the Common Formats in 2008. 

Based upon the expert panel’s feedback, 

AHRQ, in conjunction with the PSWG, 

revises and refines the Common 

Formats. 

The Agency is specifically interested 

in obtaining feedback from both the 

private and public sectors on the new 

Common Format—Readmissions 

Version 0.1 Beta to guide the 

improvement of the formats. 

Information on how to comment and 

provide feedback on the Common 

Format—Readmissions Version 0.1 Beta 

is available at the NQF Web site for 

Common Formats: http:// 

www.Quality.forum.ORG/projects/ 

commonformats.aspx. 

The process for updating and refining 

the formats will continue to be an 

iterative one. Future versions of the 

Common Formats will be developed for 

ambulatory settings, such as ambulatory 

surgery centers and physician and 

practitioner offices. More information 

on the Common Formats can be 

obtained through AHRQ’s PSO Web site: 

http://www.PSO.AHRQ.gov/index.html. 

Dated: July 13, 2012. 

Carolyn M. Clancy, 

Director. 

[FR Doc. 2012–17529 Filed 7–19–12; 8:45 am] 

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Agency for Healthcare Research and 

Quality 

Patient Safety Organizations: Delisting 

for Cause for The Steward Group PSO 

AGENCY: Agency for Healthcare Research 

and Quality (AHRQ), HHS. 

ACTION: Notice of delisting. 

SUMMARY: AHRQ has delisted The 

Steward Group PSO as a Patient Safety 

Organization (PSO) due to its failure to 

correct a deficiency. The Patient Safety 

and Quality Improvement Act of 2005 

(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 

and Quality Improvement Final Rule 

(Patient Safety Rule) to implement the 

Patient Safety Act. AHRQ administers 

the provisions of the Patient Safety Act 

and Patient Safety Rule relating to the 

listing and operation of PSOs. 

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 June 19, 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, Public Law 

109–41, 42 U.S.C. 299b–21—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 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. 

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. 

The Steward Group PSO failed to 

respond to a Notice of Preliminary 

Finding of Deficiency sent by AHRQ 

pursuant to 42 CFR 3.108(a)(2) and a 

Notice of Proposed Revocation and 

Delisting sent by AHRQ pursuant to 42 

CFR 3.108(a)(3)(iii)(C) which found that 

The Steward Group PSO failed to have, 

within every 24-month period following 

the PSO’s date of initial listing, at least 

two bona fide contracts with different 

providers for the purpose of receiving 

and reviewing patient safety work 

product, and to notify AHRQ no later 

than 45 calendar days prior to the last 

day of the pertinent 24-month period 

that the PSO has met this requirement. 

The Steward Group PSO did not 

exercise its opportunity to be heard in 

writing to respond to the deficiencies 

specified in the notices, and has not 

provided any evidence of a good faith 

effort to correct the deficiency. 

Accordingly, AHRQ has revoked the 

listing of The Steward Group PSO, PSO 

number P0088, a component entity of 

The Steward Group, Inc., effective at 

12:00 Midnight ET (2400) on June 19, 

2012. 

More information on PSOs can be 

obtained through AHRQ’s PSO Web site 

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

index.html. 

Dated: July 3, 2012. 

Carolyn M. Clancy, 

Director. 

[FR Doc. 2012–17532 Filed 7–19–12; 8:45 am] 

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