(SitNews) Ketchikan, Alaska - Wednesday, PeaceHealth Ketchikan Medical Center (KMC) was named one of the nation’s Top Performers on Key Quality Measures™ by The Joint Commission for its exemplary performance in the areas of Surgical Care and Pneumonia.

L to R: Quality team members Pamela Standley, Carolyn Corrao, Carolene Hall, Erin Traudt, and Lindsay Duckworth
Photo courtesy Ketchikan Medical Center

Ketchikan Medical Center is one of 1,099 hospitals in the U.S. recognized in “Improving America’s Hospitals,” The Joint Commission’s annual report on quality and safety, for their performance in 2012. Top Performers are recognized for using evidence-based clinical processes that are shown to improve care for certain conditions, including heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia, surgical care, children’s asthma, stroke and venous thromboembolism, as well as inpatient psychiatric services.

“Our caregivers understand that what matters most to our patients is safe, effective care,” says Chief Administrative Officer Ken Tonjes. “That’s why we are so committed to doing what it takes to assure positive patient outcomes through evidence-based care processes provided with a compassionate touch.”

To be recognized as a Top Performer, hospitals must attain and sustain excellence by achieving a cumulative performance of 95 percent or above on various accountability measures. Each accountability measure represents an evidence-based practice —for example, taking blood cultures from pneumonia patients prior to giving antibiotics or giving antibiotics to surgical patients one hour before a procedure.

Five health care facilities in Alaska were recognized as Top Performers this year and KMC was the only hospital in Southeast Alaska on the list.

“We’re proud to have received this distinction, but we’re most pleased about what it means for the patients we care for—great health outcomes,” comments Vice President for Patient Care Shannon Updike.

Source of News: 

PeaceHealth Ketchikan Medical Center
www.peacehealth.org/ketchikan

 

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