Barbara Rogness, RN, BSN, Director of Quality at Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare – St. Joseph in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, feels good about the hospital’s declining mortality rates. But, she says, “The numbers don’t tell the whole story.”
They don’t, for instance, show the depth and breadth of the culture change that has led to a widely-shared spirit of innovation and excellence, an essential foundation for change. “There are some things you just can’t measure,” she says. “Like how staff have learned to be such clear and critical thinkers and good communicators. How their confidence has grown. How they are continually learning and teaching each other about how to do even better.”
More specifically, Rogness says the low mortality rate can be attributed in part to the hospital’s significant emphasis on several interventions that IHI promotes, including tight glucose control for all patients; the use of Rapid Response Teams to head off potentially serious health problems at the first sign of trouble; and the consistent use of the steps in IHI’s Ventilator Bundle to prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia.
“We understand that we may never achieve perfection,” she says, “but we also know that we can always improve. That attitude is a huge part of our success.”
02/01/2007
