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Ohio Patient Safety Institute

OPSI was founded by the Ohio Hospital Association, the Ohio State Medical Association and the Ohio Osteopathic Association. Through this collaboration and common effort, OPSI works with hospitals and health care workers to improve health care outcomes in Ohio. Its mission is to be the leader and catalyst in developing and transforming health care into a reliable and safe delivery system.

Monthly Resource & Educational Programs

Risk of Falls

During these winter months it is nearly impossible to completely avoid ice and snow, but a fall during this time of year can lead to many types of injuries. To help reduce your risk of falling, check out this helpful information.

Have a Best Resource to Share?
The Ohio Patient Safety Institute is encouraging health care providers to submit short articles regarding patient safety topics to be featured on OPSI’s website. Over the years OPSI has featured articles from Ohio hospital clinical leaders and experts focusing on patient safety including: hand hygiene, vaccinations, medication safety, and more. Click here to submit. 

Patient and Professional Resources

Patient engagement and involvement is vital to the delivery of health care. OPSI provides information for patients seeking care, including recommendations to prepare for a hospital visit, safely manage medications and more.

  • Click here for resources to help patients understand health care issues impacting them.
  • Click here for resources related to medication safety, surgical and procedural safety, infection prevention, general safety, safety culture, leadership resources, health literacy and best practices.

Patient Safety Week 2023 - March 12-18

Ohio hospitals are committed to providing the best health care to patients. Every day of the year, caregivers work to provide the best care possible for every patient, every time. Patient safety and health care quality is a top priority for Ohio hospitals.

Patient Safety Awareness Week is an annual education and awareness campaign for health care safety. From patients to care providers, the front lines to the executive suite, the patient and family advocate to the corporate solutions provider — we are all united in the goal of keeping patients and those who care for them free from harm.

On-Demand Webinars


Patient Resources

Medication Safety - Patient Resources

Medications contain powerful chemicals that cause changes in your body. It is very important to use them correctly. Your physician, nurse and pharmacist are trained to help you use your medication safely. But you, as a patient or family member, are the most important member of the health care team.

You share the responsibility for safe medication use. Make sure you know your medications, how to take them and why you take them. If there is anything you don’t understand about your medications, keep asking questions until you do.

OPSI offers these resources to help patients with medication safety.

Medication Safety - Brown Bag Event Toolkit

Brown Bag programs encourage consumers – especially seniors – to gather up all their prescription and over-the-counter medications and take them to a pharmacist for review.

The goals of a Brown Bag event include:
  • Promoting better patient/pharmacist communications
  • Identifying and solving compliance problems
  • Spotting duplicate, outdated and poorly stored medicines
The following toolkit will help you organize and present a Brown Bag program to your patients. Brown Bag programs strengthen the pharmacist’s relationship with the patient, and they can contribute to the well-being of the entire community.

OPSI Best Practice Award

OPSI's Annual Dr. Frank Dono Best Practice Award honors an individual or organization that has designed and implemented the most innovative, evidence-based patient safety practice in Ohio. ​Developed by the OPSI’s Advisory Board, the goals of this award are to recognize outstanding efforts among Ohio health care providers who:

  • Improve patient safety
  • Develop innovative programs to improve patient safety
  • Create best practices that other Ohio health care providers may adopt/adapt
  • Develop a culture of collaboration that improves patient safety

Award Nominations

OPSI invites hospitals, health systems, physicians, long term care, outpatient facilities and home health care to submit a nomination for the annual Dr. Frank Dono Best Practice Award. The best practice award is presented annually to an individual or organization that has designed and implemented the most innovative, evidence-based patient safety practice in Ohio.

Award submissions must include a project summary, description of the performance improvement process, an explanation of the data analytics used (measurable goals, use of benchmarks, etc.), verifiable results and sustainability and a report of the lessons learned.

OPSI opens nominations each fall, and applications must be submitted online by Dec. 31. An awards committee will review all applications to select the finalists and ultimate recipient which to be announced in March. The award traditionally is presented at the OHA Annual Meeting Quality Summit in June.

​Please contact OHA's Dorothy Frabott for more information or click here to learn more.

OPSI Advisory Board

OPSI's Advisory Board is composed of a multi-disciplinary team of health care professionals through out the state of Ohio.

  • Todd Baker - Ohio State Medical Association
  • Chrissie Blackburn, MHA - University Hospitals
  • Kathy Crea, Pharm.D, BCPS, CPPS - Riverside Methodist Hospital
  • Matt Harney - Ohio Osteopathic Association
  • Judy Klein, CPHRM, PA - Coverys
  • ​William Kose, MD - Blanchard Valley Health System
  • Mandy Smith, NHA, PTA, RAC-CT - Ohio Healthcare Association

OHA & OPSI Representatives

  • Dorothy Frabott, BA, MBA, Coordinator, Clinical Programs, OHA