Mandy Smock
HCS/588
04/01/2013
Amos Hunter
Since the Institute of Medicine’s widespread reports, To Err Is Human (2000) and Crossing the Quality Chasm (2001), revealed widespread incidence of medical errors in U.S. hospitals, there has been a great deal of effort to measure and improve the quality of hospital care. Progressive input has been made in establishing quality indicators and risk adjustment components to compare quality across organizations, and in analyzing processes and cultures in high-performing hospitals. There is a vast amount of knowledge to learn about the infrastructure of hospital performance. Health care organizations performance measures may include which hospitals are improving (or deteriorating) over time, and how they accomplish and provide for that improvement. This paper will seek to develop a quality improvement plan for St. Joseph Medical Center, the difference between performance measurement and quality improvement, examine quality indicators, and explain stakeholder feedback is used in the quality improvement process.
St. Joseph Medical Center has provided healthcare to the Kansas City metropolitan area since 1874. According to St. Joseph Medical Center (2013), “It is a joint accredited, 310-bed hospital offering a full array of acute care, outpatient and extended care services with a reputation for quality care and compassionate service” (para. 1). The hospital is committed in providing exceptional quality care and has earned the Magnet Nursing Designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, the nation’s leading credentialing organization. This accomplishment is one of the highest achievements a hospital can receive in professional nursing. Research has shown there are clear benefits to patients in Magnet hospitals. They have fewer complications, shorter hospital stays, higher patient safety, and higher patient and employee satisfaction scores.
* St. Joseph Medical
References: Institute of Medicine. (2001). Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century Institute of Medicine. (2000). To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System. Marshall, M., Shekelle, p., Leatherman, S., & Brook., R. (2000).The public release of performance data: what do we expect to gain? A review of the evidence 283, 1866-1874. St