Rural

Patient engagement is paramount to reducing readmissions and improving quality of life. That's what is driving Beebe CAREs, launched in 2012 by Beebe Healthcare, based in Lewes, Del. Patients establish goals, framed not by a physiological measure but by a life event or activity: attending a child's…
n 2013, San Luis Valley Regional Medical Center, Conejos County Hospital and five clinics officially became one entity: San Luis Valley Health. This rural health care system, based in Alamosa, Colo., is now fully focused on engaging community stakeholders and working together to craft a long-term…
Delivering the right care, at the right time, in the right place. That focus is the strategy for preventing readmissions at Twin County Regional Healthcare in Galax, Va. The 141-bed rural hospital also focuses on four “must-haves” for patient discharge: follow-up appointments, home…
This article from Hospitals & Health Networks, the journal of the American Hospital Association, details the report from the 2014 committee on research. Among other point, the authors highlight the following:
The only acceptable number of avoidable patient harms is zero. At Ponca City (Okla.) Medical Center, all hospital staff are working to achieve 100% of patient safety goals. The 140-bed hospital has used best practices and tools from its participation in the AHA/HRET Hospital Engagement Network.…
By focusing on preventive care and health promotion, hospitals are catalyzing change in their communities. Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Azle is one such example. The 36-bed hospital, part of Texas Health Resources, determined that a large number of its patients' emergency room visits were…
Change can be uncomfortable. But no matter how sophisticated, hospitals and health care systems need to progress—to redefine, change and be relevant. Hospital teams are working to find better ways to provide high-quality care at lower costs to improve the health of people in their communities…
The patient experience as measured by patient satisfaction scores is an organizational goal. In the emergency department, staff was challenged to move patient satisfaction scores from the 70th to the 90th percentile rank.
What is it?For the last 16 years, North Mississippi Medical Center (NMMC) has hosted the annual Live Well Health Fair. During this event, NMMC and other community organizations partner to offer free seasonal flu shots and free health screenings for anxiety, blood pressure, glaucoma, depression,…
Learn from the best of the best. The 2013 AHA-McKesson Quest for Quality Prize® recipients will share their quality improvement stories during a two-part Hospitals in Pursuit of Excellence webinar series. These hospitals and care systems have committed in a systematic manner to achieving the…