Quality & Patient Safety
at Valley Medical Center
The word "quality" isn't new to anyone in healthcare. For years, regulatory agencies such as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the Washington State Department of Health (DOH), and The Joint Commission (TJC) have regulated healthcare quality programs and activities.
Over the past decade, the focus on quality has been sharpened by the call to accountability through TJC's Agenda for Change, the Institute of Medicine's report on medical errors, the National Quality Forum's endorsed safe practices, the demand for value by healthcare purchasers, and the increasing sophistication of the public we serve, to name a few. Performance measures for healthcare have also expanded to include outcome measures, such as patient satisfaction, and cost as well as conventional clinical measures.
It is no surprise that the public's cry for quality in healthcare services (that which is safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, efficient, and equitable) matches our intent as expressed through mission, vision, and values. At Valley Medical Center and Clinic Network, we are working to improve clinical, service, and financial outcomes by responding to performance measures and evidence-based or leading practices. Initiatives include:
- CMS/TJC quality measures (acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, pneumonia, surgical care improvement and pregnancy)
- Washington statewide initiatives (Clinical Outcomes Assessment Program (COAP) for PCI [percutaneous coronary interventions], Diabetes Collaborative)
- Leapfrog initiatives (such as the culture of safety and centers of excellence)
- Health-care associated infections (related to central lines and ventilators)
- Nurse-sensitive outcomes (falls, pressure ulcers) and other initiatives (discharge planning and patient education)
- Patient satisfaction HealthStream Research surveys for inpatient, outpatient, emergency, and clinic settings)
Each of us at Valley Medical Center and Clinic Network has the option, every day, to make the choice for quality, to provide the best clinical care and customer service within our capacity. We take this challenge seriously. Supported by data and partnered with you, we continuously improve our care and service to you, our patients.
