Reducing Pressure Ulcers in New York State

Pressure ulcers are a common patient safety issue resulting from prolonged periods of uninterrupted pressure on the skin, soft tissue, muscle, and bone.

They are most common among the elderly, people who use wheelchairs, and bedridden patients. Nationally, the rate of pressure ulcers is increasing, with some 2.5 million patients being treated annually in acute care settings.  The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) convened a broad coalition of representatives from various health care settings to promote the Gold STAMP (Success Through Assessment, Management, and Prevention) program in order to create a uniform standard of care for pressure ulcers across health care settings. After an initial set of partners took the lead in developing and implementing a Phase 1 pilot program, NYHealth awarded a grant to the Foundation for Quality Care (FQC) to implement the Gold STAMP program statewide.