What Do We Mean by Quality?
When we think about quality in relation to a product or service, we often think about its durability, craftsmanship or value compared to other similar products or services. While healthcare can be measured in much the same way, there are additional elements
that affect its quality.
The National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) actually has identified six domains of quality – safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, efficient and equitable – which we at Skagit Regional Health aim to exceed every day.
Keeping Our Patients Safe
When doctors and nurses recite their professional pledges, they promise first to do no harm to their patients. Every single physician, surgeon, nurse, clinical support staff and employee at Skagit Regional Health is dedicated to not only keeping our patients safe, but to keeping everyone in our environment safe as well.
This is why we have many standardized processes and procedures throughout our health system for clinical and nonclinical functions. Doing so helps us ensure all necessary steps are taken to promote safe care for our patients as well as a safe environment for all those who share it.
Providing Effective Care
The care we provide is deeply rooted in evidence-based practices. Meaning our diagnostics, procedures and treatments are based as much as possible on tried-and-true science, so we don’t overuse, underuse or misuse a practice. Moreover, the clinicians who work in our service areas are specialty trained, board certified and knowledgeable of best practices and advances in these areas.
Putting Patients First
Keeping you healthy may be our job, but we understand it’s your health – your life. This is why you, the patient, are always at the center of care. We are compassionate, sensitive and responsive to your needs, preferences and values. You and any caregivers you designate will always be involved in clinical decisions.
Providing Timely Care
In order for care to be effective, it must also be timely. This is not only to promote better outcomes, but it’s also to ensure you’re satisfied with your care.
We integrate technology and other time-saving processes into our workflow to reduce wait times, improve accessibility and prevent delays that can be harmful to either patients or their caregivers. Our laboratory services are also within our system, which not only allows us to control the quality in the lab, it also reduces the amount of time it takes to receive lab results.
Promoting Efficiency
We are mindful of our resources and promote efficient use of all equipment, supplies, energy, time and other commodities, minimizing waste whenever and wherever we can.
Treating Patients Equally and Fairly
Healthcare quality at Skagit Regional Health will never vary due to a patient’s personal characteristics. This means you will never be treated differently due to your gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, geographic location or socioeconomic status.
We treat all patients equally and fairly with sensitivity and compassion. We are mindful to always show respect, dignity and kindness to our diverse communities, caring for patients’ physical, emotional and spiritual needs.
CVH Wound Care Center Recognized for Clinical Excellence
Congratulations to the Cascade Valley Hospital Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine Center team!
Cascade Valley Hospital physicians, leaders and clinicians gathered last week to recognize Cascade Valley Hospital Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine Center a recipient of the Center of Distinction award by Healogics®, the nation’s largest provider of advanced wound care services. The Center achieved outstanding clinical outcomes for twelve consecutive months, including a patient satisfaction rate higher than 92 percent.
“We were involved with wound care before it was its own specific specialty over 20 years ago,” said Dr. Peter Wolff, board-certified general surgeon and wound care provider at Skagit Regional Health. “It’s been a great service to those people who really need it; there’s a real need for that kind of care. This award tells us that we have achieved a very high standard of care.”
The Cascade Valley Hospital Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine Center is a member of the Healogics network of more than 600 Wound Care Centers® and offers highly specialized wound care to patients suffering from diabetic foot ulcers, pressure ulcers, infections and other chronic wounds which have not healed in a reasonable amount of time.
Advanced wound care modalities provided by Skagit Regional Health’s wound care experts include negative pressure wound therapy, total contact casting, bio-engineered tissues, biosynthetic dressings and growth factor therapies. The center also offers hyperbaric oxygen therapy, which works by surrounding the patient with 100 percent oxygen to help progress the healing of the wound.
Increasing access to wound care services is part of the ongoing mission at Cascade Valley Wound Care “We’ve increased the number of patients served each of the past four years, and we’re very happy. Having said that, we know there are more people in our community who live with chronic wounds who we haven’t met yet,” said Program Director Tom King. “Our team of providers and staff is the best I’ve worked with. They are very dedicated to healing patient’s wounds and the skills and knowledge they have are fantastic. We’re very blessed to have an amazing group of providers and staff at the center.”
About Healogics
Headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla., Healogics is the nation’s wound healing expert. Last year over 300,000 patients received advanced wound care through a network of over 600 Wound Care Centers. Healogics also partners with over 300 skilled nursing facilities to care for patients with chronic wounds and provides inpatient consults at more than 60 partner hospitals. As the industry leader, Healogics has the largest repository of chronic wound-specific patient data in the country. The Healogics Wound Science Initiative offers peer-reviewed research and advanced analytics in the pursuit of not only better outcomes, but a better way to provide care.