Halpern, Scott
Summaries of Independent Scientist (K) Awards
Institution: University of Pennsylvania
Grant Title: Measuring and Mitigating Patient Safety Threats Due to Strains on ICU Capacity
Grant Number: K08 HS018406
Duration: 5 years (2009-2014)
Total Award: $762,910
Project Description: The project has three main aims:
- Measure the factors that strain an intensive care unit's (ICU's) capacity.
- Quantify the threats such strains pose to patient safety.
- Identify the organizational characteristics of ICUs that enable them to accommodate increasing strain safely.
Career Goals: Dr. Halpern is an Assistant Professor in the Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of Pennsylvania. He received both his MD and PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Pennsylvania. The grantee would like to become a leader in critical care health services research with a focus on improving the safety of care provided to critically ill patients.
Progress to Date: The required patient- and unit-level data at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania have been prospectively acquired and are being entered into an Oracle clinical database.
Future Plans: Data collection will continue through the summer and fall and the clinician interview will begin in the summer and continue through the end of 2010.
Highlights and Specific Accomplishments:
- Top 10% of peer reviewers for Annals of Internal Medicine, 2008.
- Society of Critical Care Medicine VISION Award, 2009.
- Greenwall Foundation Faculty Scholar Award in Bioethics, 2008.
- International Society of Health and Lung Transplantation Junior Faculty Award, 2008.
- Consultant to the Advisory Committee on Blood Safety and Availability, Department of Health and Human Services.
- Member of the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute Pulmonary Complications of Sickle Cell Disease Data Safety and Monitoring Board.
K-Generated Publications: None thus far.
