“Patient Safety 7/365: 7 days of recognition, 365 days of commitment to safe care,” the theme of this year’s national Patient Safety Awareness Week (March 3-9), appropriately reflects what Illinois hospitals and health systems do every day.
As part of Patient Safety Awareness Week, it’s important to note the advancements that our hospitals and health systems are making in the patient safety arena, while committing to work on the challenges that remain every day. Our hospitals and health systems are actively engaged in statewide and national collaboratives and initiatives to reduce readmissions and hospital-acquired conditions and improve transitions of care and the overall health of their communities.
That’s why I am pleased that Illinois hospitals and health systems have been recognized nationally by the American Hospital Association’s Hospitals in Pursuit of Excellence (HPOE) program. All this week, hospital case studies from the IHA Institute for Innovations in Care and Quality’s 2012 Quality Excellence Achievement Awards Compendium are being spotlighted on HPOE’s website.
Even in the face of a rapidly evolving health care environment and fiscal challenges posed by government and private payers, I am proud that IHA’s members are not compromising on quality and safety. They are developing and implementing innovative ways to improve care delivery for better patient outcomes. They are moving proactively across their communities to promote wellness and disease prevention. They are making a real difference in the health and well-being of Illinoisans and their communities.
Yes, there is still a long road ahead of us. But our hospitals and health systems know that in order to transform our health care delivery system to provide the right care, at the right time, in the right setting cost effectively – patient safety and quality are the foundation that we must build on.
