Email this pageOur Commitment to Quality and Safety
Strong Memorial Hospital is committed to providing excellent care and service that you and your family can trust. Strong works in partnership with organizations such as the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services, the New York State Department of Health, and others to implement, monitor, and report on safety and quality of patient care. The national focus on hospital quality has grown, and organizations that track healthcare have shed light on the importance of quality and safety improvements. These include:
- JCAHO's "Agenda for Change," initiatives to support healthcare organizations in improving quality of care through the establishment of effective monitoring and evaluation processes
- Institute of Medicine 1999 report on medical errors (To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System)
- The National Quality Forum-endorsed Safe Practices for Better Healthcare: A Consensus Report
- Demand for value by healthcare purchasers organized through organizations such as The Leapfrog Group
Defining Quality
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality describes quality healthcare as "doing the right thing, at the right time, in the right way, for the right person, and having the best possible results." The Institute of Medicine study, Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century, sets a vision for improving our nation’s healthcare with aims to make it safe, effective, efficient, patient-centered, timely, and equitable. The study’s authors define healthcare quality as "the degree to which health services for individuals and populations increase the likelihood of desired health outcomes and are consistent with current professional knowledge."
Quality at Strong means doing our best every day and working continuously to make our best even better.
One way we do this is by measuring and continuously improving the level care we provide, and then sharing our quality information to help you make better health decisions. We voluntarily participate in independent quality improvement programs, including the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Hospital Quality Alliance, which sponsors the consumer-oriented Hospital Compare website.
Safety is a Priority
Patient safety and quality of care are part of everyone’s job at Strong. We have formal processes in place to help everyone stay current with knowledge, skills, and technology to keep us on the path of continuous improvement and safety.
Strong’s Quality Management Team coordinates our programs for continuous improvement of patient safety, quality of care, and operational performance.
Ideas for safety and quality improvement projects come from Strong’s management plan, hospital committees, individuals, and from departmental or interdepartmental groups wishing to improve a process or resolve a problem. Projects are carried out by teams using quality tools, problem-solving techniques, and process improvement and redesign methods, including Lean Six Sigma.
The Quality Management Team and thousands of dedicated staff members support a vision of Strong as a continuously improving health system that:
- Delivers safe, high-quality care based on the best scientific evidence combined with judgment of expert clinicians
- Treats patients and families with dignity
- Provides a safe environment for patients, visitors, and staff
- Continually improves its operating and clinical practices
- Achieves the best outcomes for patients through teamwork
- Provides an integrated continuum of care
- Communicates and shares information effectively
- Strives for service excellence
- Uses resources efficiently and effectively with a focus on reducing waste
Best Practices
Patient safety experts at Strong have researched and identified "best practices," proven ways that help us provide the best care and minimize errors. These practices help us provide the safest environment for your care.
Safety Programs
In addition to our own rigorous safety initiative, Strong also participates in statewide and nationwide safety programs, so we can learn from and avoid errors that happen at other hospitals. Our approach is to adopt and continuously refine the safest practices before a mistake can occur.
