After graduating from Columbia University, Andrew Barovick went on to earn a juris doctor from Yeshiva University. Andrew Barovick is now a partner at Alegria & Barovick LLP, which handles plaintiffs’ medical malpractice cases.

1. Some Patient Safety Topics for
2017
Andrew Barovick

2. Introduction
• After graduating from Columbia University, Andrew Barovick
went on to earn a juris doctor from Yeshiva University.
Andrew Barovick is now a partner at Alegria & Barovick LLP,
which handles plaintiffs’ medical malpractice cases.
Effective representation involves keeping abreast of patient
safety trends and priorities. Some patient safety topics have
recently been in the news and are likely to constitute trends
and priorities in 2017. They include patient care transitions.
More specifically, a JAMA study published in December 2016
found a higher risk of mortality among in-hospital patients
during end-of-rotation transitions. In response, hospitals can
implement a number of checklists and handoff tools to
improve the outcomes of the transition process.

3. Patient Safety
• In addition, patients are put at risk of contracting various
infections when the sterilization process develops issues.
While some sterilization problems are related to instrument
design, others are connected to lack of appropriate training
for sterile processing department staff at medical facilities.
Water contamination is also cause for concern. In September
2016, five patients at a hospital in Seattle were infected with
Legionnaires’ disease. A subsequent investigation revealed the
contamination of sinks and an ice machine with Legionella
bacteria. While sinks are generally viewed as improving hand
hygiene, they can also aerosolize water droplets that have
been contaminated with the bacteria. Hence, hospitals should
be more proactive about preventing the splashing of water
from faucets.