MINNEAPOLIS, Dec. 3 The American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) has designated Hennepin Regional Poison Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota as an accredited poison control center - a major milestone for the center. The designation by the AAPCC places the Hennepin Regional Poison Center among 58 accredited poison centers in the United States.
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"Accreditation represents a major accomplishment. It means we have met the national standards of excellence for poison centers," said Debbie Anderson, PharmD, Poison Center Director. "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."
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Every day, the Poison Center receives calls 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, carbon monoxide, and other potentially dangerous substances. Last year the Poison Center managed more than 125,000 calls from concerned Minnesotans.
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 pharmacists and nurses 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.
The American Association of Poison Control Centers is a 501(C)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1958. AAPCC represents the poison control centers of the United States and the interests of poison prevention and treatment of poisoning. For more information on the AAPCC, visit www.aapcc.org.
Since 1982, the Minnesota Department of Health has designated Hennepin Regional Poison Center to provide emergency poison management and poison prevention information to the citizens of the State of Minnesota. The Poison Center is a program offered by Hennepin County Medical Center, a 471-bed Level One Trauma Center located in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. More information about Hennepin Regional Poison Center can be found at www.mnpoison.org or by calling 1-800-222-1222.
SOURCE Hennepin Regional Poison Center
