Quality and Patient Safety

At the Washington Health System, our mission statement is simple, yet we believe that it gets to the heart of what we strive to provide each day- Great Patient Care.

We define great patient care as care that is clinically excellent, safe, patient and family centered and efficient for both patients and caregivers. Preventing patient harm is central to our mission.

We’ve recently adopted a continuous improvement philosophy that seeks to eliminate waste from our system and to improve care by focusing on what is important to patients. Over the next few years, our team members will be trained in this methodology. Involving front-line staff in identification of potential harm and in redesigning care, as well as creating a culture of patient safety, is a top priority for us, just as it is at many leading health care organizations across the country.

As we strive to prevent harm, we are concentrating on the following areas:

• Total Patient Harm
• Healthcare Associated Infections
• Patient Falls with Injuries
• Medication Errors
• Hospital Acquired Pressure Ulcers
• Patient Satisfaction
• Technology and Hospital-Based Physicians

In the subsequent pages, we will share with you our results in these areas, as well as what we do to improve patient safety and what you can do to help.

We welcome your comments and perspectives on this important topic. 

Gary B. Weinstein
President & CEO, Washington Health System