Designing Your Quality Care

Creating a Culture of Quality

Abington Memorial Hospital has a reputation for excellence. Since the Institute for Healthcare Improvement announced its landmark study that concluded many people were dying as a result of hospital mistakes, we have focused our attention on patient safety. Our efforts include:

• Designating a Chief Patient Safety Officer to lead quality initiatives.
• Voluntarily participating in all 12 initiatives encouraged by the Institute for Health care Improvement's patient safety campaigns. These include preventing adverse drug events, reducing surgical complications and reducing or preventing infections acquired in hospitals, including Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA).
• Achieving the Joint Commission's goals for patient safety.
• Creating our Center for Patient Safety and Quality (in 2006), staffed by physicians, nurses and other quality experts.
• Continuing to invest millions of dollars in technology and cutting-edge information systems that support patient safety and quality care.
• Launching our award-winning electronic medical records system, which allows doctors and nurses to quickly update and access each patient's vital medical information. It is now being made available throughout all of our Abington Health Physicians doctors' offices.
• Establishing state-of-the-art safety initiatives in our in-house pharmacy, including pharmacy management of blood thinners and programs that double-check proper medications and doses.
• Being the first hospital in the country to use Bayer's automated lab system, which processes results faster, reduces the chances of error and uploads results directly into our computer system for immediate review by physicians and technicians.
• Using smart pumps - specialized dosing instruments - which allow our nurses to administer the correct amount of intravenous medication.
• Developing a blame-free (but accountable) safety assurance reporting form for all employees and physicians. This helps the hospital better identify and track trends in areas or systems that may need improvement.
• Focusing on teamwork and communication skills training for all clinical staff.