Case Studies
Embedding Quality
'Commitment to caring' and 'quality improvement' and'patient engagement' are more than catchphrases at UNC Hospitals. They are embedded in the culture at the 804-bed academic center in Chapel Hill, N.C. For example, Commitment to Caring teams identify opportunities and follow up with plans to achieve the medical center's goals, all of which align with the Institute of Medicine's six quality aims. Triads are hospital teams, led by physicians, nurses and case managers, which focus on specific quality initiatives aimed to improve patient care and outcomes. Patients and families participate on improvement teams, too.'Quality is everyone's responsibility,' says Larry Mandelkehr, director of performance improvement and patient safety. At UNC Hospitals, providing excellent care in a patient-centered environment includes everything from nurses making hourly rounds to anticipate patients' needs to educating patients and providing support for their follow-up care to reduce readmissions. For this ongoing commitment and work, UNC Hospitals is a finalist for the 2012 AHA-McKesson Quest for Quality Prize.
'Commitment to caring' and 'quality improvement' and'patient engagement' are more than catchphrases at UNC Hospitals. They are embedded in the culture at the 804-bed academic center in Chapel Hill, N.C. For example, Commitment to Caring teams identify opportunities and follow up with plans to achieve the medical center's goals, all of which align with the Institute of Medicine's six quality aims. Triads are hospital teams, led by physicians, nurses and case managers, which focus on specific quality initiatives aimed to improve patient care and outcomes. Patients and families participate on improvement teams, too.'Quality is everyone's responsibility,' says Larry Mandelkehr, director of performance improvement and patient safety. At UNC Hospitals, providing excellent care in a patient-centered environment includes everything from nurses making hourly rounds to anticipate patients' needs to educating patients and providing support for their follow-up care to reduce readmissions. For this ongoing commitment and work, UNC Hospitals is a finalist for the 2012 AHA-McKesson Quest for Quality Prize.
For more information, contact Mandelkehr at Lmandel@unch.unc.edu.
Related Resources
AHA Center for Health Innovation Market Scan