Mercy noted for high Patients First score from MHA

Date: 2/1/2010

SPRINGFIELD Maintaining patient safety and providing high quality care are among the highest priorities for Mercy Medical Center, and this commitment to excellence is evident in the recent statewide "Patients First" safety and quality care report. Mercy exceeds the performance of peer group hospitals as well as national hospital averages in all reporting categories and in almost every individual data point on the Massachusetts Hospital Association (MHA) Web site. These measures include patient falls, patient falls with injury, and pressure ulcer prevalence.

"Mercy's outstanding scores on the Patients First, and other publicly reported safety and quality indicators, are the result of consistently fine performance on the part of our nursing staff and their focus on patient-centered care," Sharon Adams, RN, Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer at Mercy Medical Center, said. "With our sweeping commitment to patient safety and quality of care, we can confidently say that Mercy Medical Center delivers a better healthcare experience."

Earlier this year, Mercy launched the Achieving Clinical Transformation Initiative (ACT), a person-centered care initiative designed to further reduce and essentially eliminate several hospital-acquired conditions. The ACT initiative sets the Mercy safety and quality goals at levels that are among the most stringent and demanding in the country. ACT benchmarks serve as Mercy's guidepost in assuring continued top performance and the best patient care possible.

"Mercy Medical Center's long-standing and ongoing commitment to high quality patient care is evidenced not only by the adoption of the ACT initiative and the resulting positive scores on the Patient's First Web site, but most importantly, by the outstanding patient outcomes at Mercy," William Bithoney, MD, Chief Medical Officer, SPHS, and Chief Operating Officer, Mercy Medical Center, said.

For more information on the recent Patients First safety and quality care report, visit MercyCares.com or log onto the MHA Web site at www.patientsfirstma.org/nqfnovember2009/NQF_Hospitals.cfm.