Existing Hospital Quality Improvement to meet JCI Standards
According to a 2007 hospital case study published by The Commonwealth Fund, hospitals that achieve and sustain improvements over time follow a pattern of similar behavior.
If you believe your hospital does not reflect the establishment, growth, and reinforcement of a culture of quality, or you are seeking to develop policies and protocols to help your hospital exceed JCI standards, then look to American Health and its executive partners to help you achieve those goals and ongoing measurable quality improvement objectives.
Here is how the case study defines the Quality Improvement Sequence:
- A trigger serves as a “wake-up call” that prompts the hospital to begin or renew an emphasis on quality improvement, marking the beginning of cultural shift and leading to…
- organizational and structural changes such as establishment of quality-related councils and committees, empowerment of nurses and other staff, and investments in new technology and infrastructure that facilitate…
- a new problem-solving process, involving a standardized, systematic, multidisciplinary team approach to identify and study a problem area, conduct root cause analysis, develop action plans, and hold team leaders accountable, resulting in establishment of…
- new protocols and practices, including evidence-based policies and procedures, clinical pathways and guidelines, error-reducing software, and patient flow management techniques, leading to…
- improved outcomes in process and health-related measures (e.g., patient flow, errors, complications, mortality), satisfaction and work environment, and “bottom line” indicators such as reduced length of stay and increased market share.
Experiencing such positive results then served as motivation to hospital staff to expand their efforts, thus turning the above sequence into a self-sustaining cycle. That is, the improved outcomes led to further impetus to change, accelerated change, and a spreading of the “change culture” to other parts of the institution. This entire sequence reflects the establishment, growth, and reinforcement of a culture of quality.
Senior Healthcare Executives
Each new hospital has a different mission, and its own unique set of challenges. Our Hospital Assessment and Quality Improvement services are led by a group of senior healthcare executives who have many years of experience managing leading hospitals and clinics throughout the United States. Our team members are not academics, nor professional consultants; each of them has been personally responsible for building and managing hospitals and clinics, recruiting staff and building high-performing organizations and leading management programs to improve medical outcomes and deliver outstanding patient care.
8-Phase Operations Assistance to Success
The level comprehensiveness of 2-5 year program is determined according to the needs of the hospital. Our partner hospital executives have assembled an 8-phase operating plan:
Phase I. Discovery (Teleconference that clarifies project objectives and resources, define the problem and outcomes desired)
Phase II. Preliminary Proposal (Includes required staffing, work plan and timing, milestones and objectives, and estimated costs)
Phase III. On-Site Visit to Refine Proposal (If preliminary proposal approved) Meet staff and identify oversight team and on-site project teams
Phase IV. Develop Detailed Proposal and Work Plan (Identify priority projects A, B and C; required staffing, project teams, execution plan, reporting and metrics, and expected costs to complete)
Phase V. Process Improvement Program for “A” Priority Projects
Phase VI. Process Improvement Program for “B” Priority Projects
Phase VII. Process Improvement Program for “C” Priority Projects
Phase VIII. Overall Program Review and Report
Learn more
Click here to contact American Health about this program.