Cincinnati Drug and Poison Information Center Among National Accredited Poison Control Centers

Monday, January 01, 0001

The American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) has redesignated the Cincinnati Drug and Poison Information Center as an accredited poison control center – a major milestone for the center.

The 5 year designation by the AAPCC places the Cincinnati Drug and Poison Information Center among 58 accredited poison centers in the United States.

“Accreditation represents a major accomplishment. It means we have met the national standards of excellence for poison centers,” said Earl Siegel, PharmD. “I’m incredibly proud of our high-quality staff, which works 24 hours a day, seven days a week to respond to calls and serve as a valuable resource for both health care providers and the public.”

The Cincinnati Drug and Poison Information Center provides life-saving poison information to families and health care professionals that it serves.

The Cincinnati Drug and Poison Information Center receives calls every day from parents, grandparents, child care providers, teachers, health care providers, pharmacists, nurses and physicians in every area of practice regarding poisonings with medication, household and industrial products and other potentially dangerous substances.

To be accredited by the AAPCC, a center must meet a number of strict standards, including providing 24-hour poison information and telephone management to the public and health care professionals, employment of nurses and pharmacists certified as poison information specialists, a board-certified medical toxicologist to provide medical oversight and direction, an ongoing quality improvement program, written guidelines for evaluation and management of toxic exposures and public and professional education programs.

About Cincinnati Children’s

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center is one of 10 children’s hospitals in the United States to make the Honor Roll in U.S. News and World Reports 2009-10 America’s Best Children’s Hospitals issue. It is #1 ranked for digestive disorders and is also highly ranked for its expertise in respiratory diseases, cancer, neonatal care, heart care, neurosurgery, diabetes, orthopedics, kidney disorders and urology. One of the three largest children’s hospitals in the U.S., Cincinnati Children’s is affiliated with the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and is one of the top two recipients of pediatric research grants from the National Institutes of Health.

President Barack Obama in June 2009 cited Cincinnati Children’s as an “island of excellence” in health care. For its achievements in transforming health care, Cincinnati Children’s is one of six U.S. hospitals since 2002 to be awarded the American Hospital Association-McKesson Quest for Quality Prize for leadership and innovation in quality, safety and commitment to patient care. The hospital is a national and international referral center for complex cases. Additional information can be found at www.cincinnatichildrens.org.