Patient Safety and Quality Patient Safety What the Hospital is Doing for Patient Safety What You Can Do to Ensure Your Safety Hudson Hospital makes patient safety and quality care top priority. Patient Safety Your safety is central to our health care delivery and is the top priority. Hudson Hospital has an integrated system of staff training, procedures, equipment and teamwork processes that support an environment of safety.

The hospital continuously networks with nationwide hospitals, regulatory agencies and patient safety organizations to receive and give information on the most current and best safety practices in health care delivery.

What the Hospital is doing for Patient Safety
Following are highlights of Hudson Hospital’s commitment to your safety:

• We incorporate patient safety initiatives into all services on an ongoing basis

• We have a safety committee in place to coordinate and guide priorities and use strong communications and teamwork

• We have an environment of care committee that improves the safety and comfort of the hospital facility and grounds

• We have a medication safety committee specifically focused on evaluating and implementing new medication management methods in order to reduce the risk of error and harm from medications.

• We participate in the Wisconsin Hospital Association’s CheckPoint. Wisconsin hospitals are committed to sharing information about the quality and safety of the health care services that they deliver in their communities. CheckPoint provides reliable data on fourteen interventions that medical experts agree should be taken to treat heart attacks, heart failure and pneumonia, and five error prevention goals. These measures represent the beginning of more measures that will be added to this site in the future. For more information, visit www.wicheckpoint.org

• We participate in Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHO) quality measurements for the conditions of heart failure, heart attack and pneumonia, as well as numerous additional safety initiatives

• We have continually achieved JCAHO accreditation www.jcaho.org

• We participate in the Protecting 5 Million Lives from Harm campaign sponsored by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. The campaign is an initiative to engage U.S. hospitals in a commitment to implement changes in care proven to improve patient care and prevent avoidable harm and deaths.  The Campaign is the first national effort to promote saving a specified number of lives by the end of 2008. For more information, visit http://www.ihi.org/IHI/Programs/Campaign/Campaign.htm?TabId=1

• We are in the planning stages for implementing an electronic medical record.

• We routinely practice and improve emergency preparedness procedures with city, county, state and regional emergency response organizations to respond to natural, accidental and intentional disasters

What You Can Do to Ensure Your Safety
Everyone has a role in making health care safe - doctors, nurses, technicians, support staff, health care executives, family members - and especially you! Hudson Hospital has put many checks in place to keep you safe and prevent errors with
your care.

We also need you to work with us to keep you safe. Research shows that patients and their families who are more involved with their care feel they are safer, get better results and are more satisfied. To become an active, involved, and informed member of your health care team, we recommend that you:

• Speak up if you have questions or concerns, and if you don’t understand, ask again. We are here to help.

• Share health information about yourself – even if you think it might not be important.

• Make sure your nurse or doctor confirms your identity, by checking your wristband AND asking your name, before any medicine or treatment is given. It is standard procedure for each staff member to ask for TWO forms of identification – even if you think they know you.

• Expect staff to introduce themselves when they enter your room. Look for their identification name badges.

• Pay attention to the care you are receiving. Make sure you are getting the right treatment by the right health care professional.

• Know the medications you are taking, why you are taking them and their potential side effects. Know what time of day you normally receive a medicine. If it doesn’t happen, bring this to the attention of your nurse or doctor.

• Always verify that the medications you are given are intended for you. Your nurse should always verify your name and check your identification before giving medications.

• Tell your doctor, nurse and pharmacist about the medicines that you take. Remember to include the over-the-counter medicines such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and vitamin and herbal supplements. Remind them about any drug allergies you have.

• Encourage hand washing for yourself, your visitors and your health care staff. Wash your hands often. Feel free to ask a caregiver if they have washed their hands before caring for you.