Keeping You Safe: Quality and Safety for Every Patient Every Day

In November 1999, The Institute of Medicine (IOM) released its landmark report To Err is Human – Building a Safer Healthcare System. This report identified at the time that healthcare in the United States was not as safe as it could or should be. The IOM’s report was a call to action for hospitals and healthcare providers nationwide and focused the nation’s attention on the issue of medical errors. Quality in healthcare is still a work-in-progress on a national scale in terms of definition, measurement and reporting. At Columbus Community Hospital, we are willing and active participants in that process along with hospitals, doctors and others all across the country.

Today – almost 10 years after the IOM report – hospitals are safer and more transparent with our quality and safety information. CCH has been an active participant in the measurement and public reporting of process improvement measures on heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia, and surgical care improvement. In addition, we participate in improvement efforts related to patient satisfaction, mortality, and readmission. Columbus Community Hospital’s most current quality data is now available on our website at www.columbushosp.org.

Over the past decade, hospitals have taken many steps to develop a “culture of safety”. One of the steps that Columbus Community Hospital has taken includes active participation in the Institute of Healthcare Improvement’s Five Million Lives Campaign. One of the very important initiatives implemented as a result of the campaign is the Rapid Response Team (RRT). The RRT is a team of clinicians who bring critical care expertise to the bedside or wherever it’s needed throughout this hospital. Since the RRT was implemented at CCH, we have seen significant reduction in cardiac and respiratory arrest episodes.

Columbus Community Hospital is also accredited by The Joint Commission. This accreditation is another way that CCH demonstrates its commitment to doing the right thing for our patients all of the time. The accreditation standards keep us constantly aware of current safety and quality practices so that we can provide them to our patients.

Quality and safety are top priority at Columbus Community Hospital and we value your input and feedback. If you have questions or suggestions do not hesitate to contact Nicole Blaser, RN, Director of Quality and Compliance at (402) 562-3374 or nbblaser@columbushosp.org

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