How Ritz-Carlton helped one hospital reduce readmissions to .74 percent

The Ritz-Carlton hotel doesn't just inspire lessons in customer service and hospitality, it also inspired one Midwestern hospital to decrease readmissions for hip and knee replacements to .74 percent, according to a story from Becker's Hospital Review.

Indiana University Health Saxony Hospital, a 42-bed facility in Fishers, dropped 30-day readmissions to more than seven times lower than the national average for those procedures after the hotel helped surgeon M. Michael Meneghini, M.D., propose to his now-wife in the middle of a snowstorm, according to the article.  

Inspired by the Ritz-Carlton's daily staff meetings to get everyone on the same page for the customers, Meneghini, director of the IU Health Saxony Hospital's joint replacement program, gathers the perioperative team every Friday morning to discuss the week's upcoming patients and scheduled surgeries, according to Becker's. The team--including internists, surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, the operating room team device company representatives and the hospital's chaplain--discusses what implants they will use and medical conditions the upcoming patients have.

Meneghini credits the meetings, which have taken place since the hospital opened more than two years ago, for shorter lengths of stay and lower readmission rates, as well as increased patient satisfaction. Having a strong surgeon leader is key for success, he told Becker's, as is executive-level support. C-suite leaders must recognize cost-savings and financial benefits of reduced medical errors and shorter hospital stays.

Senior healthcare leaders need to simplify their approach to patient safety and quality measures, and give front-line workers the opportunity to provide the best care possibly by creating an environment that fosters open communication and team work, according to John Toussaint, M.D., chief executive officer of ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value, FierceHealthcare previously reported. Daily huddles and rounding allow senior leaders to observe the work and determine if the standard of quality is in place and where it may be defective.

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