Achieving the Institute of Medicine's six objectives of quality care means strong hospital leadership and collaboration with the medical staff and patients, according to the criteria used to recognize hospitals awarded or honored for the 2011 American Hospital Association-McKesson Quest for Quality Prize.
Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood, Fla., the winner of the award, engages staff including medical professionals and front-line employees, in initiatives such as post-discharge phone calls to patients, according to a press release today.
Likewise, with attention to patient safety at the forefront, each board meeting at Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle opens with a patient story. From those quality improvement initiatives, the medical center focuses on ways to reduce lab result time, distribute medications faster, and enable nurses to spend more time on direct patient care.
AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center in Atlantic City, N.J., ensures that patients with chronic conditions have access to its medical home.
In addition to patient concerns, the top awarded hospitals focus on internal teamwork.
Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago focuses on physician-nurse collaboration and hosts a patient and family advisory council.
Similarly, medical staff and administration at Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center in Torrance, Calif., work together to make strategic decisions about palliative care and neonatal ICU care, according to the press release.
"These institutions demonstrate what can be accomplished through strong organizational leadership and a system-wide commitment to quality and patient safety. We are honored to support this award for the tenth consecutive year and hope the results achieved by this year's finalists will pave the way for continued advancements throughout the industry," said McKesson Corporation Chairman and CEO John Hammergren in the press release.
For more:
- read the press release
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