It is National Healthcare Quality Week. We are fortunate to work with a passionate, knowledgeable and committed team of health care quality professionals. We asked members of our team to reflect on the importance of health care quality, barriers and their WHY.
We highlighted some of their responses below and will feature their comments throughout the week on our social media platforms
Why Quality Matters
| I just read a statistic that it is estimated that over 45% of deaths at healthcare facilities are due to a lack of quality service delivery – a fact that makes healthcare quality delivery urgent. I don’t want to contribute to those statistics so anything I can do to help move health care quality forward is important and my “why” for working in this field of healthcare quality. – Lori Hintz, RN, CDP, CADDCT; Quality Improvement Advisor |  |
| Healthcare quality is near and dear to my heart. I feel everyone should be treated equally and have the best care possible. Quality care is the use of best practices by physicians and nurses to help deliver the best care the patients deserve. I have been working in quality since 2004, it gives me a warm feeling to know that my job is going to benefit someone out there receiving care. – Stephanie Meduna, RN, BSN; Quality Improvement Advisor. |  |
| High quality care is assumed by the patients, who are our family and friends. It’s up to all of us to meet those expectations of quality. In general, I’ve seen the importance of having a patient advocate who can listen, ask questions, and gather information on their behalf. Patients are focused on getting better, and it’s sometimes hard for them to focus on things like insurance coverage or follow-up appointments. – Ryan Sailor, MBA; Chief Executive Officer |  |
| Health care quality is built on a strong relationship between the individual and their health care team. While research and science have allowed for amazing advancements in health technology, each individual must seek and follow the recommendations of their provider. Trust from the individual and among the health care team creates quality health care. – Stacie Fredenburg, BA; Quality Improvement Advisor |  |
The Barriers
| I believe the biggest barrier to quality care is the shortage of staff in health care facilities. Over the past few years, I feel everyone’s focus was on COVID and quality improvement got pushed to the wayside. Now, most facilities have their COVID policies in place and have a plan for it. I think they would like to get back to focusing more on quality projects, but there isn’t enough staff for direct patient/resident care. Because of this, there isn’t the time or staff to do the education for improvement. It can be offered online, but you still need to pull those caregivers from the floor to read or watch it. I don’t think caregivers want to come in on their days off because they are burnt out and need some time to focus on themselves. – Jenifer Lauckner, RN; Quality Improvement Advisor |  |
| In my opinion, the biggest barrier is staffing. COVID has changed the way healthcare is delivered and made it less personal. The human element has been removed. Staff are overwhelmed by the continuous change and loss that they have experienced. The delivery of healthcare needs to change to include providing care for the staff or they will continue to leave and seek employment in less stressful environments. Work PTSD is real. -Susan Wilcox, RN; Quality Improvement Advisor. |  |
| In 2015, I was involved in a serious bike accident when a distracted driver failed to yield at a stop sign as I was commuting home from work on my bike. At the ER, I received minimal care and sent home with no direction on my recovery. To maintain a quality of life to minimize pain and maximize function for the last 7 years, I have had to gain the knowledge to manage my own care and pursue countless providers and treatments, which includes six surgeries and daily management of an ongoing chronic pain condition. – Tiffany James, Statistician. |  |
| I believe the biggest barrier to quality care is time. Leadership in healthcare organizations may not feel there is enough time to work on quality improvement processes because to do so does entail putting forth strategic effort and planning. It is about building the right team, looking at data, seeing where an organization may have risk in patient safety or outcomes, and then trying new processes to improve the quality of care and be sure to include the people closest to the process are involved. The time and effort taken is well worth the quality healthcare and improvement to patient safety that can be achieved. I think if organizations took that time in the front end and not wait for a concern or adverse event occurs to mitigate those risks when there is a “near-miss event” or when a risk assessment is completed quality healthcare is achieved. – Tammy Wagner, RN, CADDCT, CDP, LSSGB; Quality Improvement Advisor |  |
Healthcare Quality Week, brought to you by the National Association for Healthcare Quality, is a dedicated time to celebrate the profession and raise awareness of the positive impact healthcare quality professionals have in their organizations and communities. Let’s celebrate and let others know about the contributions you and your peers or team make to improve quality and safety. Do you have a story to share? If so, we would love to help you tell it. If you are willing to share, we would love to have a conversation with you. Tell Us Your Story.