Fourth Chance at Life - Winthrop University Hospital

Winter/Spring • 2011Winthrop Raises the Bar on HealthcareQuality and Safety with Major AccoladesOnce again, Winthrop-UniversityHospital and Winthrop’s Home HealthAgency have received a full three-yearaccreditation – and the highest praise –from The Joint Commission. Winthroprecently earned The Joint Commission’sGold Seal of Approval for accreditationby demonstrating compliance withThe Joint Commission’s national standardsfor healthcare quality and safetyin hospitals. The accreditation awardrecognizes Winthrop’s dedication tocontinuous compliance with The JointCommission’s rigorous and comprehensivequality and safety standards.The successful unannounced surveyincluded an extensive five-day on-sitereview conducted by a select team of JointCommission professionals including aphysician, administrator, engineer andnurses, who evaluated the Hospital’s performancein areas that affect patient safetyand quality of care. The surveyors assesseda broad range of Hospital activities andprocedures and interacted with Hospitalleadership, medical staff, employ ees aswell as patients. Winthrop received nodirect impact findings – as compared tothe national average of 4.7 direct impactfindings – indicating the survey teamfound nothing that posed an immediaterisk to patient safety and quality of care.There were minor recommendations forimprovement, almost all of which wereaddressed immediately.“In achieving Joint Commissionaccreditation, Winthrop has demonstratedits commitment to the highest level ofcare for its patients,” said Mark Pelletier,RN, MS, Executive Director, HospitalPrograms, Accreditation and CertificationServices at The Joint Commission.“Accreditation is a voluntary process andI commend Winthrop for successfullyundertaking this challenge to elevate itsstandard of care and instill confidence inthe community it serves.”In speaking to a gathering of staffimmediately following the conclusion of4 Cornerstonethe survey, Barbara Kohart Kleine, VicePresident of Administration responsiblefor the coordination and oversight of theHospital’s regulatory and survey activities,said that a large part of Winthrop’ssuccess with the Joint Commission surveywas the outstanding communicationshared by the members of the Winthropstaff. Employees and medical staff wereavailable to the surveyors and sharedtheir Hospital experiences with knowledgeand pride, further demonstratingtheir commitment to a culture of patientsafety and outstanding care. ■John F. Collins, President & CEO of Winthrop-University Hospital (pictured right at podium),congratulates Winthrop leaders on the successful Joint Commission survey.Hospital Quality Study Names WinthropA Distinguished Hospital for Clinical ExcellenceHealthGrades, the nation’s most trusted source of healthcare provider information,has named Winthrop-University Hospital a Distinguished Hospital for ClinicalExcellence for the third year in a row. This prestigious distinction placesWinthrop among the top five percent of hospitals nationwide for superior clinicalperformance. What’s more, Winthrop is one of only seven recipients in New YorkState and the only recipient in Nassau County to be named a DistinguishedHospital for Clinical Excellence.“Winthrop-University Hospital can be proud of the contributions of its physicians,nurses and staff in achieving outstanding patient care,” said Rick May, MD,HealthGrades Vice President of Clinical Quality Services and co-author of the study.“Nassau County is fortunate to have access to some of the highest quality hospitalcare in the nation.”In achieving this level of distinction, Winthrop was also named a recipient of 10Specialty Excellence Awards in 2011 by HealthGrades including Vascular Surgery,Maternity Care and Women’s Health (2010/2011) and Pulmonary Care. Winthropwas also ranked number one in NY State for General Surgery and GI Surgery (2010and 2011) and ranked in the top five percent in the nation for Overall CardiacServices, Cardiology Services and Angioplasty/Stent Procedures (2010 and 2011).Winthrop also achieved 23 five-star ratings across multiple major service areas.“Winthrop is committed to a culture of quality and safety and is proud to berecognized with several notable honors by HealthGrades,” said John F. Collins,Winthrop’s President & CEO. “These impressive achievements are a testament toour commitment to clinical excellence and reflect the quality care that is deliveredeach day to Winthrop patients and their families by our outstanding team ofphysicians, nurses and clinical staff.”