Quality-First Culture: Maury Regional Medical Center

Providing world-class quality health care may seem an audacious goal for a small or rural hospital. At Maury Regional Medical Center, in Columbia, Tenn., leadership, physicians and front-line staff have worked many years to do just that—provide the best possible service and outcomes for patients. The 275-bed hospital used the Malcolm Baldrige Award criteria to establish a framework for performance excellence and develop accountability processes to improve its patient safety and quality culture. The hospital also emphasizes strategic planning as a dynamic process to transform care delivery. Involving physicians was key, according to CEO Alan Watson. He advises engaging and involving front-line staff early in the change process and setting high expectations, which people will meet. MRMC's multidisciplinary councils oversee work to achieve five critical success factors: quality, service, people, financial and growth. The board of trustees also regularly focuses on quality issues by reviewing specific projects, metrics and outcomes and hearing patient stories. MRMC has received numerous awards and recognition for its clinical care and quality improvement initiatives.

For more information, contact Alan Watson, CEO, at awatson@mauryregional.com or Renee Tew, director of quality improvement, at rtew@mauryregional.com.