William Newton Hospital recognized for patient safety achievement

Jun 18, 2020

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William Newton Hospital is among 115 hospitals statewide being recognized for its exemplary achievements to improve patient safety. WNH leaders

The Kansas Healthcare Collaborative (KHC) recognized Kansas hospitals recently at the conclusion of the AHA/HRET Network—a major patient safety initiative spearheaded by the American Hospital Association/Health Research & Educational Trust (AHA/HRET) and coordinated in Kansas by KHC.

William Newton Hospital has received the “Accomplishment” level recognition for working toward AHA/HRET Network goals set by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to reduce hospital-acquired conditions and preventable readmissions.

“We are pleased to receive this special recognition of our team’s patient-focused efforts to provide the best care possible to those we serve,” said William Newton Hospital Chief Executive Officer Ben Quinton. “Working with the Kansas Healthcare Collaborative and its partners—as well as side-by-side with our peers across the state and with national experts—has provided our team the opportunity to advance patient safety and health outcomes more efficiently and effectively.”

Some of the initiatives the hospital has put into place since 2016 include: Surviving Sepsis campaign, fall prevention efforts, Kansas Fall Sprint program, Patient & Family Advisory Council creation, hand hygiene collaborative, bedside shift reports, inpatient quiet packs, pre-operative calls, Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Outpatient and Ambulatory Surgery Survey, Patient Safety Survey, and Emergency Department Transfer Communication.

With regards to sepsis, Quality Improvement Manager Kirstie Cates, BSN, RN, reported William Newton Hospital’s outcomes exceed state and national benchmarks. For 2020 year-to-date, 89 percent of William Newton Hospital patients have received appropriate care for severe sepsis and septic shock as outlined by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The state of Kansas average is 61 percent, and the national average is 59 percent.

Since 2016, more than 115 Kansas hospitals have worked collaboratively with KHC to achieve a 20 percent reduction in hospital-acquired conditions and a 12 percent reduction in 30-day hospital readmissions from 2014 baselines. Participating hospitals placed special focus on reducing patient harm, such as falls, adverse drug events, hospital-acquired infections, and pressure injuries. Hospitals also made progress in implementing key strategies for promoting health equity and patient and family engagement.

Hospitals across the state and nation have been working since 2010 to achieve national patient safety goals established by federal agencies. Nationwide, between 2010 and 2015, an estimated 125,000 fewer patients died in a hospital and approximately $22.8 billion in health care costs were saved as a result in reductions in hospital-acquired conditions, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

“We extend our congratulations and gratitude to all the hospitals across Kansas who participated in the AHA/HRET Network,” said KHC Executive Director Allison Peterson DeGroff. “For several years, this community of collaborative peers has inspired and driven each other to excel in leading data-driven quality improvement. It is challenging work – and it is critical work. Each hospital’s incremental changes lead to an exponential impact on the lives of patients and their families.”

The AHA/HRET Network included more than 1,600 hospitals across 34 states and U.S. territories. The initiative was supported by CMS under contract number HHSM-500-2016-00067C.