Research shows consumers consider quality, safety and value among the top indicators when shopping for an automobile. The same should be true when selecting a hospital. While having a conversation with their physician and health plan about finding the right hospital for their care, potential patients can personally review a hospital’s scorecard for quality care and patient safety. Asking the right questions may lead to more positive experiences.
To claim high quality, hospitals or clinics must achieve the best possible outcomes for medical care, safety and the patient experience. These outcomes are measured by respected third-party organizations.
Patients are finding Adventist Health’s Pacific Northwest region facilities in Oregon, Washington and Hawaii are top performers, as evidenced by their quality scores.
“We don’t engage in health care to receive awards,” says Joyce Newmyer, Adventist Health Pacific Northwest region president. “What matters is consistency in delivering quality care thoughtfully, compassionately and prayerfully through each patient encounter. These scores and awards provide patients and their families information necessary to evaluate where to receive care and make the best choices.”
Adventist Health Portland recently earned the Healthgrades 2018 Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence for the fifth consecutive year. The award recognizes the hospital in the top 5 percent of nearly 4,500 hospitals nationwide for its clinical performance as measured by Healthgrades, a resource for comprehensive information about physicians and hospitals.
Additionally, Adventist Health Portland also holds an A grade for hospital safety according to the national patient safety watchdog, the Leapfrog Group. The hospital has received the A grade 10 consecutive times, demonstrating consistency in the delivery of care. The grade signifies the hospital is among the safest in the United States, demonstrating a commitment to reducing errors, infections and accidents that can harm patients.
Meanwhile on the Oregon coast, Tillamook Regional Medical Center was named one of the Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals in the United States for the second year in a row. The healing ministry of Jesus Christ is evident in this rural coastal community hospital and clinic system, which has become a beacon for exceptional care. There are 1,343 critical access hospitals in the United States and 25 in Oregon. A critical access hospital is a federal designation for hospitals providing 24-hour essential services in rural communities.
Rounding out the facilities of Adventist Health’s Pacific Northwest region is Adventist Health Castle on the east side of Oahu, Hawaii. The hospital recently received the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the highest level of national recognition for excellence that a U.S. organization can receive in the category of health care. Patients find health and hope at the hospital known for being in the top 10 percent in the nation for disease prevention and treatment.
“The sacred work that permeates through our hospitals and clinics in Oregon, Washington and Hawaii happens because love matters,” says Newmyer. “Providing exceptional quality care reflects an outpouring of God’s love through every patient encounter.”
