Med Center Health Safety Snapshot – March

Your Quick Look into Safety at Med Center Health

At Med Center Health, safety and high reliability are more than just goals. They are our promise to every person who comes through our doors. This Safety Snapshot highlights Joint Commission’s National Performance Goal Number 4: The hospital prioritizes excellent health outcomes for all.

High Quality, Safe Care for All

“Improving healthcare quality and safety means understanding and addressing the differences in health outcomes experienced by various patient groups within healthcare settings.” –The Joint Commission

What This Means for Daily Practice

  • Provide care using evidence-based practices
    • Follow approved clinical guidelines, policies, and procedures to promote safe, consistent care
    • Avoid using workarounds. Notify department leadership and/or Director of Patient Safety of workarounds or shortcuts you see on your unit
  • Identify and mitigate safety risks
    • Recognize situations or processes that may increase the risk of harm and take action to reduce those risks
    • Share concerns with your manager and complete Incident Reports as necessary through the myMCH Portal
  • Communicate effectively
    • Use clear, timely, and accurate information with patients, families, and care team members to support safe care
    • Complete bedside shift report, and review safety concerns at bedside when using Ticket to Ride
  • Coordinate care and transitions
    • Use standardized handoff tool processes to ensure continuity of care and reduce the risk of errors during transitions
    • Use tech and nursing report sheets; these can be found under “forms” on myMCH Portal
  • Recognize and respond to changes in condition
    • Perform ongoing assessments and promptly escalate concerns when changes are identified
    • Utilize the proper chain of command if you have concerns about plan of care: provider, charge nurse, nurse manager, house supervisor, administration

Why It Matters

According to the Joint Commission, failures in communication, care coordination, and risk recognition contribute significantly to patient harm. Consistent use of evidence-based practices and effective teamwork are essential to achieving high quality, safe care for all patients.

Together, we make safety a reality. Thank you for being an essential part of our culture of safety!

Reliably yours,

Denise Kaetzel, MHA, MSN, RN, CENP – Executive Director of Quality and Patient Experience

Kaitlin Banasiewicz, PhD, MSN, RN – Director of Patient Safety and Clinical Research

«
»