You are welcome to contact our Performance Improvement Department by emailing  Mandy Budny, Director at mandy.budny@svrhc.org.

 

Our Strategic Focus

Creating a Strategic Plan is critical to SVRHC’s success.   It factors into all we do within our organization and it drives our quality, our programs and our priorities. To ensure our efforts are aligned with our values, SVRHC follows a thorough planning process that identifies needs and opportunities to establish our Strategic Plan.  The Strategic Plan allows us to focus on strategic objectives to make a significant impact in the areas of our patients, our people, and our future.

Our Patients: Our focus in this area includes patient safety, quality clinical outcomes, and customer service.

Our People: Our focus in this area includes physicians, employees, and public relations. 

Our Future: Our focus is to partner with the community, continue financial development, decompress busy areas, increase needed services, continue growing the community benefit program, increase the Foundation’s role, and to develop the east campus.

 

Quality Initiative:

Reduction of MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus) Infection

 

Strategic Focus: Our Patients

Why Is It Important? Health care-associated infections remain a major cause of morbidity, mortality, and excess health care cost despite infection control efforts.  Recently, treatment of these infections has become more difficult due to an increase in antibiotic resistance. Infections caused by MRSA are a problem as the number has increased significantly over the past decade and compared to methicillin-susceptible staphylococcal infections, they are more lethal. The principle mode of spread is via the contaminated hands of the caregivers.

How Do We Measure Infections? At SVRHC, we monitor staff compliance with appropriate hand hygiene practices (soap and water or alcohol based hand rubs).  Reduced MRSA is directly tied to improved hand hygiene compliance. Measurement of staff compliance is two-fold. We monitor compliance with hand hygiene practices by usage of alcohol hand rub compared to the clinical worked hours.  We also measure the number of hospital infections which are caused by all S. Aureus strains.

How Do We Compare: The national average is approximately 40% compliance with proper hand hygiene practice.  Our rate of compliance for the quarter ending September 31, 2011 was 67%.

 

Quality Initiative:

Patient Satisfaction

 

Strategic Focus: Our Patients

Why Is It Important? At the heart of our organization is a commitment to patient satisfaction.  The well-being, health, and satisfaction of our patients and their families are the reason we are here.  At SVRHC, we have an ongoing passion to always place our Patients First.

How Do We Measure Patient Satisfaction? Patient satisfaction is measured by Press Ganey Associates, Inc., the health care industry’s top satisfaction measurement and improvement firm.

Surveys are specialized to the care received and are mailed to patients upon discharge.  Currently, 100% of inpatients are surveyed including Obstetrics; 100% of ambulatory surgery patients; 50% of emergency department patients; and 50% of outpatients.

How Do We Compare: Sierra Vista Regional Health Center has a three (3) year plan developed to reach the 90th percentile (utilizing the Press Ganey scores) by June of 2011.

Our rates for the quarter ending December 2011 are:

Area                      Current Rating        Goal

Inpatient                       83.4%                 86.7%
Outpatient                    92.5%                 91.3%
Emergency                  81.9%                 84.7%
Ambulatory Surgery    90.2%                92.4%

Hospice                        97.9%                97.2%

Health Clinics              93.5%                93.8%

 

Quality Initiative:

Employee Competency

Strategic Focus: Our People

Why Is It Important? The competency of our employee staff is imperative to the delivery of quality health care to our patients. Patients need to have the assurance, security, and confidence that those caring for them are competent in the execution of their independent duties.

How Do We Measure Employee Competency? We measure staff competency at the time of hire during the employee’s initial orientation and then on an on-going basis.  Staff is evaluated for competency throughout the year and the results are reported annually. The evaluation process is done through direct observation of the employee’s performance in the delivery of their job duties and the demonstration of their independent knowledge of job duties, protocols, requirements, and equipment.

How Do We Compare: There are no national or state benchmarks to compare competency levels and/or compliance.  SVRHC is at 100% compliance with staff competency.

 

Quality Initiative:

Capital Investment

Strategic Focus: Our Future

Why Is It Important? Capital investment is the hospital’s investment in its future in terms of existing and new facilities, equipment, technology, and new services.  The hospital must have the ability to fund capital investment or we would not be able to maintain current service levels or have funds available to invest in the items listed above.  SVRHC’s sole source of funds is from payment for services provided.  As a 501c3 organization, the hospital is tax exempt, has no shareholders, and exists for the benefit of the community it serves.  In exchange for its tax exempt status, the hospitals’ profits are re-invested to provide quality and affordable health care for the community.

How Do We Measure Our Capital Investment? Capital investment is measured in three (3) ways. Those are “bottom-line” profitability, “financial assistance”, and “community benefit”.

How Do We Compare: For the fiscal year ending September 30, 2010, the bottom-line profitability allowed us to reinvest $7,685,664 in the hospital.  Our financial assistance provided to the uninsured and under insured totaled $3,021,483 and through our community benefit the hospital was able to continue the Wellness Depot, the Parish Nurse program, and a wide selection of free educational programs and assistance valued at approximately $350,000.