Providence St. Vincent Medical Center
Improving Efficiency by Standardizing Care and Ensuring Access
Providence St. Vincent Medical Center was recognized by the Leapfrog Group as a "Highest Value Hospital" in 2008. But it was its pursuit of quality and accessibility, not efficiency, which appears to have been the driving force behind its success. The designation can be traced to three notable initiatives: its Safe Patient Access Capacity Enhancement (SPACE) project, the simplification of surgical orders, and the use of staff councils to address safety concerns.
PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT STRATEGIES
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Supporting a major initiative that rallies staff around improving patient care can create a strong culture of teamwork that spans different units in the hospital, resulting in improved care processes and patient outcomes. Initial improvements in patient flow and falls are leading to new improvement work that builds on lessons learned.
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Integrating system and hospital decision-making through formal structures—some financial and some clinical—helps to align resources and rationalize decisions.
