Washington Hospital 2010 Annual Quality Report - (Page 4)

Promoting safety National Patient Safety Goals Washington hospital is committeD to proviDing safe patient care. We work hard to comply with the annual National Patient Safety Goals developed by The Joint Commission to help hospitals improve patient safety. To achieve these goals, we must continuously analyze and refine the way we provide care. This requires a serious investment of time and support by administrators and frontline staff, as they work to change not only behavior but our organizational culture. The Hospital’s Patient Safety Committee leads this effort, monitoring how the changes we make improve the safety of our patients. In the past year, reducing the risk of infection was an important patient safety goal. Among other strategies, we initiated a hospital-wide program to promote hand hygiene, the single most important defense against infection. Now, there are hand sanitizer dispensers outside every patient room and in many other places throughout the Healthcare System. We use every opportunity to reinforce the critical importance of hand washing. Better communication has been identified as a focus for 2010. Communication in hospitals is a complicated process, with many levels and multiple aspects affecting safe care. For example, we are working on ways to improve the timely reporting of critical test results. Another important phase of communication we monitor is the “hand-off,” the exchange of information between caregivers, as a patient moves from one area of the Hospital to another or is discharged to another facility. 2010 national patient safety goals • Improve communication • Identify patients correctly • Use medications safely • Prevent infection • Identify patient safety risks • Ensure the right procedure is done for the right patient Obstetrical nurse Tamra Ragusa, RN, uses one of the many hand sanitizers located throughout the Hospital to help fight infection. 4 

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Washington Hospital 2010 Annual Quality Report

Washington Hospital 2010 Annual Quality Report
Mission Statement
Setting Our Quality Goals
Our Total Commitment
Inspiring Change Through Excellence
Collaborating for Quality and Safety
Promoting Safety
Assuring a Safe Place for Patients
Focusing on Improvement
Cultivating Quality
Advancing Excellence in Nursing
Connecting Evidence-based Practice to Quality Outcomes
Teaming Up for Higher Quality and Greater Efficiency
Learning From Our Patients
Innovation That Builds Quality
Recognized for Quality
Raising the Bar on Quality

Washington Hospital 2010 Annual Quality Report

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