Northwest Patient Quality Care
Our Top Priority - Patient Safety and Quality Care
At Northwest Hospital nothing is more important to us than
providing quality care to our patients in a safe and nurturing
environment. It is our reason for being. In every encounter with every
patient at Northwest, our focus is on achieving the highest level
of clinical quality and safety.
We are proud of our staff for the compassionate and personalized care
they provide. This is a hallmark of Northwest Hospital. Ultimately, however,
we know that it is the quality of care and a safe environment that best
serve our patients and our community. That is why everything we do is
driven by our commitment to quality and safety.
Our standards for clinical quality flow from the evidence-based best
practices of medical facilities nationwide. These best-practice
guidelines are designed to minimize variation in our clinical processes
and improve outcomes for our patients.
Working in conjunction with our administration and board, we set yearly
patient safety goals and create plans at both the LifeBridge corporate
and local levels to meet or exceed these goals. But reaching our
performance goals are not ends in themselves; we do this because of our
unwavering commitment to providing the highest-quality service and
safest possible environment for our patients and visitors.
Certified Quality
Northwest Hospital is accredited by The Joint Commission, an independent, not-for-profit organization that is among the most prominent accrediting bodies in the health care industry.
Our most recent on-site survey by The Joint Commission occurred in 2013.
During the three-day visit, a team consisting of a nurse, an admin, an engineer and a physician surveyor conducted a thorough examination of our facility, our records and our practices, and interviewed a number of hospital staff members. As a result
of that visit, we received the organization’s maximum three-year
accreditation.
Safety Tips and Tools for Patients and Families
As our patient, you are the most important member of the health care
system, we all work together to make your care safe. Here is how you can
participate:
- Ask questions. Questions help you stay informed.
- Ask a trusted family member or friend to be your advocate.
- If you don't understand something, ask again. Also, speak up if something doesn't seem right.
- Review instructions with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist. You can
say, "I want to make sure I know how to care for myself at home."
- Repeat the instructions given to you as you understood them.
What we are doing to improve
Northwest Hospital Pre-Procedure Checklist is a process to ensure that
wrong-person, wrong-procedure, wrong-site surgery never happens at Northwest Hospital. For your safety, you will be asked your name,
your date of birth, what procedure you are having, and what site is
being operated on multiple times before your surgery or procedure. Then a
patient identification bracelet will be placed on your wrist.
What you can do to help
- Bring an up-to-date list of all medication you take with you to the
hospital. The list should include all over-the-counter (OTC) medicines,
vitamins and dietary supplements you take.
- Do NOT shave near your surgical site. Shaving can cause irritation, which may contribute to infection.
- Remove all jewelry, including rings and body piercing before you come to the hospital.
- Make sure your surgeon, nurse and anesthesia provider are asking
your name, date of birth, what procedure you are having and what site
is being operated on. Please speak up if someone forgets to ask you.
Preventing Infections
Handwashing
To protect yourself and your family, especially during cold and flu
season, use soap and water or hand sanitizer. Below are the steps you
should take when washing your hands with-
Soap:
- Turn on water to a lukewarm temperature.
- Hot water is not recommended as it dries the skin and increases the risk for contact dermatitis.
- Rings, watches and other hand jewelry should be removed.
- Wet hands with running water and apply soap and spread over all surfaces of the hands.
- Hold hands and forearms lower than the elbows during the procedure.
- Wash hands and wrists vigorously for at least 15 or more seconds,
paying particular attention to areas between fingers, thumbs and
around and under fingernails.
- Rinse hand thoroughly under running water to remove soap.
- Pat dry hands thoroughly with paper towel.
- Use paper towel to turn off faucet to avoid re-contaminating the hands.
- Discard towel in a regular trash can.
Waterless Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizer:
- Apply to intact, dry hands that are free of visible debris and/or organic matter.
- Apply sufficient amount into palms to cover all surfaces of hands, fingers and thumb thoroughly.
- Rub hands together, covering the entire surface of the hands and fingers, including nails until dry.
- Allow the alcohol to totally evaporate from the skin to maximize effectiveness and decrease irritation.
- Do not wipe off with a paper towel or rinse off with water or fan the hands to speed drying.
- If there is no running water, remove visible soil with a wipe, then use the alcohol based hand rub.
Preventing Falls
Northwest Hospital is committed to reducing patient falls and educating
patients and their families/caregivers about fall risk reduction
strategies.
What we are doing to improve
As part of the Northwest Hospital fall prevention program, the nursing staff
assesses each patient every day for risk of falling. If you are
identified as being at risk, the nurses will implement a variety of
interventions to decrease the risk of falling.
These interventions include thing like:
- A yellow wristband and yellow slippers. These things remind you,
your family and hospital staff that you may need help walking or
getting out of bed.
- Using an alarm system that will notify staff if you get out of bed without help.
- Offering you the chance to use the bathroom regularly.
What you can do to help
In the hospital, you are in unfamiliar surroundings. Getting around is
not the same as it is at home. You may be taking medications that make
you sleepy or disoriented. You may be connected to IVs or other medical
equipment.
Please take the following precautions:
- Ask for assistance from the nursing staff as needed.
- Ask a staff member to make sure your call button, telephone and other personal items are near you.
- Ask your nurse to make sure that your bed is in the lowest position.
- Sit at the edge of the bed for a few minutes before getting up to avoid feeling dizzy.
- Wear non-skid footwear.
- Make sure you have adequate light to see.
- Ask a staff member to assist you with, or move, any equipment before you get out of bed.
- Use your hearing aid, glasses, walker or cane.
- Report any spills or objects that are on the floor.
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