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Florida Celebrates National Healthcare Quality Week

Posted on: Saturday, 17 October 2009, 23:01 CDT

Governor Crist Signs Proclamation

ORLANDO, Fla., Oct. 18 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- National Healthcare Quality Week, October 18-24th, celebrates the work of Healthcare Quality Professionals in achieving improved patient care outcomes and healthcare delivery systems. Healthcare Quality Professionals are driven by the desire to make a positive difference in the lives of their patients, organizations and communities. They lead improvement changes not only through content expertise, but through role modeling, educating, coaching and empowering others.

In honor of their achievements, Florida Governor Charlie Crist has issued a Proclamation recognizing the outstanding work Healthcare Quality Professionals do for the people of Florida. Some of the healthcare quality initiatives ongoing in Florida include:

• initiating a biometric patient identification system, allowing real time and historic patient medical information to be accessed by any authorized clinician caring for that patient, reducing the potential for medical errors and duplication of services while improving timeliness of care - BayCare Health System
• conducting training programs on road crossing safety in elementary schools to reduce pediatric traffic injuries and fatalities - Trauma One, Shands Jacksonville.
• initiating multifaceted operational changes to reduce emergency room wait times to below the national average to ensure emergency services are provided in a timely manner, reducing complications and saving lives - HCA, Inc.
• providing free support groups to families of deployed or injured veterans and for those who have lost a loved one to war to provide psychological and spiritual support.- TideWell Hospice and Palliative Care
• creating a multidisciplinary program which includes bundling of services, use monitoring, and education, with an 18 month goal of eliminating the five primary healthcare-acquired infections - Mayo Clinic Florida
• promoting transparency in healthcare outcomes to aid consumer choices via public reporting of provider and facility performance in key areas - State of Florida Agency for Health Care Administration
• creating a Patient Advocate position in the Quality Department in all of its hospitals to ensure patient concerns are heard and addressed promptly - HMA, Inc.
• implementing new treatment approaches which significantly reduced average length of stay for civil psychiatric patients while maintaining low recidivism rates - GEO Care, Inc.
• use of home telehealth technologies for real-time monitoring of patients with chronic diseases to reduce complications and hospitalizations - Department of Veterans Affairs
• improving patient safety through special training of 1000 staff members to serve as Patient Safety Champions - Baptist Health South Florida
  

These are a few of the many quality initiatives currently in place to improve health and healthcare quality for the people of Florida. Notes Sam Elizondo, President of the Florida Association for Healthcare Quality (FAHQ): "FAHQ joins Governor Crist in praising the champions of quality who work tirelessly to improve healthcare for all the people of Florida!"

About FAHQ

FAHQ is committed to developing, supporting and promoting professional expertise in healthcare quality. Its membership represents quality professionals from across the healthcare spectrum, united in the common goal of advancing Florida's healthcare quality. Visit our website, www.fahq.org, for further information.

SOURCE Florida Association for Healthcare Quality

Source: PR Newswire

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