Last week, we got a report card of sorts and I am happy to report that we received an “A” grade! We achieved this high mark in The Leapfrog Group’s Hospital Safety Grades for fall 2018, which rates how well hospitals protect patients from errors, injuries, and infections. The survey assessed more than 2,500 hospitals across the nation, including 40 in Maryland. GBMC was one of only five hospitals in the Baltimore region and one of eight in the state to get an “A”! To see the grades, click here.
The Leapfrog Group, which launched its first hospital survey in 2001, began when a group of business leaders wanted to accelerate the improvement of hospital safety and worked with the Business Roundtable to review the evidence. If you would like to learn more about the survey, click here. The hospitals were given a letter grade from “A” through “F” based on several factors, including medical errors, accidents, injuries, and infections. The goal of the rankings is to determine a patient's risk of further injury or infection if they visit a particular hospital.
We should all be proud of this accomplishment. It is a measure of how well we are doing on our first Aim: the best health outcomes. We cannot be delivering the care we want for our own loved ones if patients are not safe from harm under our care. This “A” grade is another piece of evidence showing that we are moving towards our vision. We still have work to do but we have made great strides towards zero harm! I want to thank our entire team for all that you have done to move us to this point. I also want to thank Laura Hines, RN, SCNR, Director of Clinical Quality Outcomes and Carolyn Candiello, our Vice President for Quality and Patient Safety for their tremendous work in culling the data for the survey. Great work!
November is National Hospice and Palliative Care Month and I think It’s an appropriate time to recognize the Gilchrist team, led by Cathy Hamel and Dr. Tony Riley, who have designed an exceptional system of elder care and pediatric end-of-life care. Gilchrist has outstanding programs to keep elders well and to serve them as they develop illness and progress through to end of life. Our geriatricians assess patients in consultation, serve as medical directors in over 30 extended care facilities, manage the Gilchrist Rehabilitation Unit at GBMC, work with advanced practitioners to deliver in-home primary care, handle symptom management and palliative care for patients with terminal disease, and of course, they work with the fabulous Gilchrist nurses to deliver end-of-life care through Gilchrist Hospice. The work continues with families after the death of their loved one with bereavement support and counseling.
Recently, Gilchrist launched a new Integrative Medicine program that’s available to patients receiving treatment at our Sandra & Malcolm Berman Cancer Institute. Leading the initiative is the program director, Delia Chiaramonte, MD. In the program, cancer patients receive evidence-based interventions to alleviate the symptoms and the stress of cancer to improve their quality of life. Integrative treatment planning covers symptoms such as sleep problems, anxiety, depression, pain, nausea, and fatigue. Thank you, Gilchrist and welcome, Dr. Chiaramonte!
Last month, I had the pleasure of attending Gilchrist’s Taste of Howard County. This year’s theme was Merriment in Masquerade and the event featured food from more than 20 of Howard County’s premier caterers and restaurateurs. It also included more than one hundred bid items as well as a cash raffle. Over $200,000 was raised and all proceeds from the event will support Gilchrist Center Howard County, the only inpatient hospice in the county.
Over the last 24 years, Gilchrist has done so much to help so many people. We are so grateful for all that the Gilchrist team does every day.
Don’t Forget to Get Your Flu Shot!!
Currently, approximately 82% of GBMC employees and staff have gotten their flu shot. Our next FLU VACCINE EVENT is this Friday, Nov. 16, in the ED concourse, from 7AM - 7PM; or, you can receive your vaccine in Employee Health any Mon-Fri, from 7AM - 4PM. Thank you for getting your immunization.
Please join me in celebrating GBMC’s outstanding Nurse Practitioners (NPs) this week. Across our nation, there are more than 220,000 NPs who provide care to millions of Americans. We have excellent Nurse Practitioners working in our hospital, in our physician practices, and in Gilchrist. They help us reach our vision of a patient-centered system of care every day. Please join me in thanking them this week!
Baltimore Magazine Excellence in Nursing
It's that time again - Baltimore magazine is collecting nominations for its Excellence in Nursing issue. Please vote for the colleagues you most respect! The survey, which ends on November 30, may be found here.
On Sunday, we commemorated Veterans Day and took the time to remember and pay tribute to the brave men and women of the U.S. armed forces who have served in the past and those who are serving today. My sincere gratitude to all members of the U.S. armed forces and their families who make sacrifices to preserve our freedom.
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