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Florida Governor Issues Proclamation During National Healthcare Quality Week

Posted on: Thursday, 23 October 2008, 15:00 CDT

ORLANDO, Fla., Oct. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Florida Governor Charlie Crist has issued a Proclamation recognizing the outstanding work Healthcare Quality Professionals do for the people of Florida. This proclamation mirrors the sentiments of National Healthcare Quality Week, October 19-25th, which celebrates the work of Healthcare Quality Professionals and pays tribute to their influence in achieving improved outcomes of patient care and improved function of healthcare delivery systems.

Healthcare Quality Professionals are driven by the desire to make a positive difference in the lives of their patients, co-workers, organizations and communities. Some of the healthcare quality initiatives going on in Florida include efforts to:

-- reduce community spread of antibiotic resistant infections through an innovative community campaign "Clean Hands Are Cool Hands", designed for children K-4, their teachers and parents, replete with activities, lesson plans and a website -- launched in Tampa, Florida schools by the HCA hospital system, now a nation-wide HCA initiative -- reduce disparities in healthcare for minorities and non-English speakers -- United Healthcare's Latino Health Initiative (recognized by prestigious National Committee for Quality Assurance award for Innovation in Multicultural Healthcare) -- improve patient safety through special training of 500 staff members to serve as Ambassadors for Patient Safety within their work units -- Baptist Health South Florida -- reduce door-to-doctor time in Emergency Departments throughout Florida by sharing methodologies from their own successful quality initiatives on the IHI website -- Florida Hospital Orlando -- identify and understand the determinants of quality of health care for the children of Florida through focus on health care disparities and information technology -- All Children's Hospital, St. Petersburg and the University of South Florida -- develop a systematic approach to quality improvement in hospice care which includes monthly, non-punitive feedback to practitioners so that improvement is truly continuous -- Haven Hospice, serving 18 counties in North Florida (now serving as a model for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in their development of national quality reporting standards for hospices)

These are just a few of the many examples of what healthcare quality professionals are doing to improve healthcare and quality of life for the people of Florida. Sandi O'Neal, President of the Florida Association for

Healthcare Quality (FAHQ), commented: "FAHQ joins Governor Crist in applauding these leaders of change during this State-wide and National time of recognition -- they truly make a difference in improving healthcare for all the people of Florida!"

Florida Association for Healthcare Quality, Inc.

CONTACT: Sandi O'Neal, President of Florida Association for HealthcareQuality, Inc., +1-386-428-2566, sandio@cfl.rr.com

Source: PRNewswire

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