Kootenai | Kootenai Health | Issue 3, 2018

of By Andrea Nagel Kootenai Health recently earned an “A” rating from The Leapfrog Group, a national patient safety review organization, for the third year in a row. Of the nearly 2,500 hospitals surveyed nationwide, Kootenai Health is one of only 750 to receive the organization’s top rating. “We’ve worked for years to develop a culture of safety,” Karen Cabell, D.O., Kootenai Health chief quality officer, said. “Safety is a key component to the way we do things at Kootenai, and this recognition is a reflection of that.” Taking initiative Three years ago, Kootenai Health adopted a three-pronged cultural initiative, named the Kootenai Health Way. It has helped organizational leaders and staff members maintain a focus on safety, compassion and engagement. Since adopting the Kootenai Health Way, Kootenai Health has seen a tremendous shift in A Culture employee engagement, a continued commitment to compassionate patient care, and a higher awareness of safety initiatives. One of the biggest factors Dr. Cabell credits in creating a safe environment is transparency. Employees are encouraged to report safety concerns or risks, even if they may be at fault. Managers and members of the quality staff see it as necessary in order to identify process problems and prevent incidents from recurring. Safety reporting is just one of many efforts implemented to increase awareness of Kootenai’s top safety risks. Kootenai Health leadership also established a daily 15-minute meeting called Daily Check-in (DCI) to discuss immediate issues and recognize staff for going above and beyond to provide excellent patient care. “There are many things we do here at Kootenai to ensure our patients receive the best care possible,” said Dr. Cabell. “Our hospital board even has a designated safety committee and spends the first half hour of each meeting discussing safety initiatives. It takes everyone to create meaningful improvement.” Organizations that are rated highly by Leapfrog show reduced rates of hospital readmission, reduced morbidity, fewer complications, reductions in hospital-acquired infections and higher patient experience scores. “We use recognitions like this to show progress and reinforce our practices,” Dr. Cabell said. “But what it really comes down to is the people and the culture we’ve developed here at Kootenai.” “A” rating reflects the Kootenai HealthWay SAFETY Karen Cabell, D.O. 16