Quality notes
iCARE: Let’s create a Clean And Restful Environment
In November, the Efficiency, Effectiveness and Patient-Centeredness committee introduced the iCARE: Clean And Restful Environment campaign. The goal is to engage faculty, staff, residents and volunteers who provide and support care at UF Health Shands and to encourage them to be more attentive to our patient care environment, and to help monitor and improve it for the comfort of those we serve. Resources that support this endeavor include iCARE hotline signs and Shhh… signs posted throughout patient care areas. An exciting new feature for iCARE includes spill stations, which are located in public areas, to further aid in the cleanliness portion of the campaign.
Improving patient satisfaction
In six months, UF Health Neuromedicine patient satisfaction with physician communication has increased from 10 percent to 99 percent on Press Ganey’s Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey. Jacqueline Baron-Lee, Ph.D., director of quality improvement for the UF Health Neuromedicine Interdisciplinary Clinical and Academic Program, or NICAP, said the culture at UF Health was the key to this project.
“This took a huge team effort and couldn’t have been done without everyone’s support,” she said. “The encouragement of our leadership was also essential.”
To reach this level of patient satisfaction, NICAP formed a Patient Family and Advisory Council to develop ways to make patients happier with their care. The result was patient portal improvement, a wayfinding program, daily patient bedside rounds and a patient-shadowing program.
Because of the infrastructure created in response to patient feedback, other departments are following suit by implementing the same strategies. Keep watching for more improvements in 2018.
Celebrating safe, high-quality care
Each year, UF Health faculty, staff and students gather to celebrate Patient Safety and Quality Week, presented by the UF Health Sebastian Ferrero Office of Clinical Quality and Patient Safety. This year’s celebrations will take place April 16-20.
The week is full of events that highlight our dedication to quality care and celebrate the progress we’re making. Join us!
Monday, April 16
Unit recognitions
Tuesday, April 17
Keynote speaker Alison Levine, a New York Times bestselling author
Wednesday, April 18
Collaborative project poster showcase
Look for dates and details on posters and fliers throughout our facilities.
Heart and Neuro Patient Move
UF Health teams greeted patients arriving at the two new hospitals with smiles and helpful information.
On Dec. 10, 139 patients were welcomed into our new UF Health Heart & Vascular Hospital and UF Health Neuromedicine Hospital. For months, hundreds of UF Health faculty and staff worked on five planning committees to ensure a smooth transition for our patients and their families.
Before the move, patients received move-day cards that highlighted move times and their future room number. During move day, teams were dispatched from the command post to pick up patients. Patients were then wheeled from their room to the command post, where their names and assigned room numbers were double-checked for accuracy, prior to being transported to their new room. Upon arrival, patients were greeted by nursing teams who helped unpack items and introduce the new room features, which included a patient infotainment system — Sonifi — and convertible furniture (a sofa/ bed and tabletop).
Thank you to all of our faculty, residents, nurses, staff and volunteers who contributed to the move day success!
