’s
February 22, 2013 edition
The Pulse
Your regular check up on SCKMC activities Share your thoughts, story ideas, and comments by e-mail to claytonp@sckrmc.org.
Focus on Quality: HCAHPS Scores are Through the Roof! - Jane L. Campbell, Director of Quality We recently received our Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) inpatient customer satisfaction results from the fourth quarter of 2012, and they are outstanding! The HCAHPS survey is the first national, standardized, publicly reported survey of patients' perspectives of hospital care. While many hospitals have collected information on patient satisfaction for their own internal use, until HCAHPS there was no national standard for collecting and publicly reporting information about patient experience of care that allowed valid comparisons to be made across hospitals locally, regionally and nationally. As a Medicare participating hospital, we are required to survey every discharged inpatient about several measures of satisfaction, including nurse and physician communication, cleanliness and quietness of the hospital, staff responsiveness, and pain control. Do you remember how busy we were in December? In spite of a record high census, our staff took the time to make a difference to our patients, and they noticed. For 4th quarter 2012, 95% of our patients said our nurses always treated them with courtesy and respect during their stay. 85% said their rooms were always clean, and 71% said their rooms were always quiet at night! This is up from an average score of 62% on that same measure for the previous four quarters. We even received an unheard of score of 100% on the measure that examines staff explanations about new medications, a very important patient safety indicator. I’ll be sharing more details in the near future, but in the meantime – congratulations on a job very well done. I can’t wait to see what good things 2013 brings!
Local Dillon’s Brightens Patient’s Valentines Day Dillon’s Store #38 organized a fund raiser to donate long stem roses from their floral department for each of our patients this Valentine's Day! Over 30 individually wrapped roses were delivered. Pictured is Holly Harper, CFO holding the roses.
Be Prepared to Stay Safe and Healthy in Winter Although winter comes as no surprise, many of us are not ready for its arrival. If you are prepared for the hazards of winter, you will be more likely to stay safe and healthy when temperatures start to fall. Many people spend time outdoors in the winter working, traveling, or enjoying winter sports. Outdoor activities can expose you to several safety hazards, but you can take these steps to prepare for them: • Wear appropriate outdoor clothing: layers of light, warm clothing; mittens; hats; scarves; and waterproof boots. • Sprinkle cat litter or sand on icy patches. • Be aware of the wind chill factor. • Work slowly when doing outside chores. • Take a buddy and an emergency kit when you are participating in outdoor recreation. • Carry a cell phone. • Protect your family from carbon monoxide. Keep grills, camp stoves, and generators out of the house, basement and garage. When planning travel, be aware of current and forecast weather conditions. Avoid traveling when the weather service has issued advisories. If you must travel, inform a friend or relative of your proposed route and expected time of arrival. If you become stranded in your car: • Stay with your car unless safety is very near. • Stay visible by putting bright cloth on the antenna, turning on the inside overhead light (when engine is running), and raising the hood when snow stops falling. • Run the engine and heater only 10 minutes every hour. • Keep a downwind window open. • Make sure the tailpipe is not blocked. Above all, be prepared to check on family and neighbors who are especially at risk from cold weather hazards: young children, older adults, and the chronically ill. If you have pets, bring them inside. If you cannot bring them inside, provide adequate, warm shelter and unfrozen water to drink. No one can stop the onset of winter. However, if you follow these suggestions, you will be ready for it when it comes. For more information on this topic visit www.cdc.gov.
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