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Redwood Area Hospital
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FROM: Shelly Pauling,
Education & Communications Manager
RE: Redwood Area Hospital Honors Quality Improvement Efforts
National Healthcare Quality Week recognizes commitment to better
patient care
DATE: October 16, 2007
The work of health care quality improvement professionals at
(organization) will be celebrated October 21-27, 2007, during
National Healthcare Quality Week. Governor Pawlenty has also
proclaimed the week as Health Care Quality Week in Minnesota to
recognize the efforts of health care professionals for their
influence in achieving improvements in patient care safety and
delivery.
Health care quality improvement professionals continuously
examine and analyze the steps involved in delivering patient
care. Changes in these steps, even small ones, can improve a
patient’s overall health. Quality improvement personnel
collaborate with other staff to provide the most effective,
highest quality outcomes at Redwood Area Hospital
“Every person on staff here, every day of the year, is working
on quality improvement in one form or another,” said Jim
Schulte, Administrator of Redwood Area Hospital. “National
Healthcare Quality Week gives us an opportunity to specifically
honor their work and to let the community know how our staff is
effectively shaping health care delivery on behalf of our
patients’ best interests. While all staff play a role in shaping
quality health care, our quality improvement management team
deserves special recognition.”
One example of the these quality improvement efforts in Redwood
Area Hospital’s participation in the CMS (Center for Medicare
and Medicaid) led hospital quality measures initiative.
Hospitals voluntarily submit data from medical records on how
well recommended cares are provided for adult patients being
treated for heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia and surgical
infection prevention. This data is then reported publicly on
“Hospital Compare”, a website developed by CMS and the Hospital
Quality Alliance – a public and private collaboration of
entities with the purpose of helping improve patient’s clinical
outcomes and patient safety. Additional hospital quality
measures are continually being added.
“These efforts make a measurable difference to Redwood Area
Hospital’s patients and to the community,” said Jennifer
Lundblad, president and CEO of Stratis Health, Minnesota’s
Medicare Quality Improvement Organization. “Health care quality
improvement promotes optimum care and reduces the chance of
error. During National Healthcare Quality Week we should
celebrate all that is done right in health care and honor the
people who work to ensure quality. We are pleased to work with
Redwood Area Hospital’s committed staff on improving health care
outcomes.” |
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