Quality Corner
November Highlights of Performance Improvement at SHC
Quality Improvement and Patient Safety Committee [QIPSC],
Joseph Hopkins, associate chief of staff, chair
- A 90-day rapid cycle project approved to address overcrowding/throughput in Emergency Department.
- Problem: Overcrowding in ED caused primarily by inability to admit patients to SHC and LPCH
- Potential solutions for complex problem to be addressed by 90-day project team from Process Excellence and Patient Care Services
- Potential solutions include
- New Code Purple signifying full capacity, thus triggering appropriate protocols
- 24/7 high level administrative support
- Budgetary incentives
- Implement Clinical Decision Unit
- Adopt a “boarder” program
- Core measures
- Core measure composite scores from University Health Consortium [UHC] demonstrate an upward (positive) trend
- The Appropriate Care Collaborative (Lumetra) identified SHC as second in the state among like institutions in overall performance improvement
- The next step for taskforce formed to evaluate data management will be to prioritize performance improvement projects to address relevant issues signifying high vulnerabilities for hospital and clinics
