During the week of Oct 17-23, 2021, we celebrated Healthcare Quality Week and I hope that you were able to find time to recognize the great quality work that is occurring in your hospitals. A commitment to quality must start at the c-suite and be embedded into the organization strategic plan, initiatives and objectives in order for it to be successful.
Quality needs to be everyone’s responsibility not just the staff that work in the quality department, but how does an organization make that happen? One way is to ensure adequate resources are available and staff have the necessary training and education. Another way is by sharing information and data with all staff at medical staff meetings, huddles and touch bases. Use Quality as a discussion item in a way they all can understand. Lastly, is to never accept that the level of care being provided is good enough. There is always need for continuous improvement. We owe it to our patients, their families and our communities.
One of our member hospitals, Bowdle Healthcare Center located in Bowdle, SD, has recently gone through a transition where each department has identified a measure for improvement and will spend the next year working on process improvement. Also, additional resources have been allocated to support this new culture of quality and they are in the process of hiring a social worker to aid in the care transition work. To learn more about the shift in culture at Bowdle Healthcare Center, please see this article from Kaitlyn Randall, MSN, RN, Director, Quality & Compliance. SDAHO is proud of the great quality work that is occurring at Bowdle Healthcare Center. They are a leader in quality.
