Dr. Philip Fracica, Bothwell Regional Health Center’s chief medical officer, and his daughter, Dr. Elizabeth Fracica, a Senior Resident in Neurology at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, recently authored a chapter in a textbook sponsored by the American College of Medical Quality (ACMQ).
ACMQ is the organization for health care professionals who are responsible for providing leadership in quality and safety outcomes and improving the quality and safety of patient care.
The textbook, “Medical Quality Management: Theory and Practice, Third Edition,” is a summary of the latest information on health care quality. It provides knowledge about the theory and practical applications for each of the core areas that comprise the field of medical quality management as well as insight and essential briefings on the impact of new health care technologies and innovations on medical quality and improvement.
Fracica was the senior author of the chapter on Patient Safety in the second edition of the textbook. For the revised third edition, Dr. Elizabeth Fracica, who received her medical degree from Mayo Medical School and a Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins, collaborated with him on the revision. The Patient Safety chapter covers several standard strategies that consistently improve the safety and reliability of processes including reduced reliance on memory with automation; algorithms and easily-accessible references; simplification through reduction of unnecessary process steps and hand-offs; and standardization to reduce variation.
“This text is an important guide for all health care executives and medical directors, physicians and clinical professionals, as well as students,” Fracica said. “I was honored to be asked to be a contributing author. The fact that I was able to work with my daughter was really special, and we enjoyed collaborating on a professional level about a topic that we both care about. Patient safety is a crucial focus of the health care industry.”
Lori Wightman, Bothwell CEO, said the hospital is fortunate to have access to Fracica’s level of expertise.
“Dr. Fracica has a wealth of patient care and physician leadership information,” she said. “He does a wonderful job serving as the leader of our medical providers and communicating the latest medical and quality management initiatives to the Bothwell team. We are proud of him for being part of this publication.”
