Patient Safety Findings Show Reduced Harm, Fewer Readmissions at Franciscan Alliance Hospitals

rot4The results of a three-year campaign to prevent harm and reduce readmissions for patients nationwide show that participating Indiana hospitals, such as those of Franciscan Alliance in Northwest Indiana, are showing significant progress.

The findings came just as hospitals noted National Hospital Week beginning May 10 -- a celebration of the men and women who support the health of their communities through dedication and compassionate care.

From 2012 to 2014, 116 Indiana hospitals, among them Franciscan Healthcare-Munster, Franciscan St. Anthony Health-Crown Point, Franciscan St. Anthony Health-Michigan City and Franciscan St. Margaret Health-Dyer and Hammond, partnered with the Indiana Hospital Association in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Partnership for Patients campaign. Guided by the American Hospital Association and Health Research & Educational Trust’s Hospital Engagement Network, the goal was to make care safer by decreasing hospital-acquired conditions by 40 percent and reducing hospital readmissions by 20 percent.

Gene Diamond, CEO of Franciscan Alliance’s Northwest Indiana hospitals, praised the work of those involved in the effort.

“The northern Indiana hospitals of Franciscan Alliance enthusiastically participated in this initiative. Thanks to our talented and hard-working employees and physicians, considerable progress was made. More challenges lie ahead. We’re determined to surmount each of them in our tireless pursuit of better patient outcomes.”

Participating hospitals worked to improve care in 11 core patient safety areas of focus, such as early elective deliveries and pressure ulcers. Staff members participated in educational meetings and training programs to increase improvement capacity and provided data tracking and reporting for each topic to encourage further awareness and monitoring.

The hospitals confirmed that patient harms were prevented, resulting in a health care cost savings during the three-year period. Money also was saved through the prevention of venous thromboembolisms, the leading cause of complications and preventable hospital deaths due to blood clots that may form as a result of limited patient mobility during hospital stays.

The three-year period of the Partnership for Patients campaign also produced significant improvement to reduce early elective deliveries, which can put mothers and babies at risk. By prohibiting the scheduling of early elective deliveries before 39 weeks, hospitals in Indiana reduced EEDs by 76 percent, and more than 50 birthing hospitals were recognized by IHA and the March of Dimes.

“When it comes to patient safety, Indiana hospitals don’t compete with one another – they collaborate to share best practices, address regional needs and work together on quality improvements for the sake of their patients and the communities they serve,” said Doug Leonard, IHA president. “We are extremely proud of the results achieved during the Partnership for Patients campaign that highlight the tremendous accomplishments of our hospitals and reflect leaderships’ commitment to quality and patient safety.”