St. Joe's applauded

POLSON — After completing more than two years of work in the National Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP), St. Joseph Medical Center has been formally commended for its outstanding successes.

“St. Joseph Medical Center is an example of excellence,” Erin Minnerath said. She is the quality improvement coordinator at Mountain-Pacific Quality Health, the state’s Medicare quality improvement organization (QIO), which implements the SCIP project in Montana.

“In nearly every measure endorsed by the SCIP project, St. Joseph is performing at 100 percent,” she said. “Using these professionally recognized protocols ensures that St. Joseph’s  surgical patients are being given the best possible care.” 

Mary Moberly, Director of Nursing and Clinical Quality at St. Joseph, said the center’s success was due to the interplay of several factors, including the energetic focus on quality and excellence that new CEO James Kiser has introduced. She also recognized the dedication of the medical center’s surgeons, Doctors Bagnell, DePuy and Righetti and all the surgical staff. 

The National Surgical Care Improvement Project, a program of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, offers tools, resources, and consultation to hospitals working on improving surgical care. Within the program, hospitals work on ensuring use of several evidence-based measures known to improve safety for surgical patients  Examples are choosing the most appropriate antibiotic, administering antibiotics within optimal time frames, using medicines that help prevent postsurgical blood clots and protecting patients with certain heart problems through appropriate timing and use of medications that help circulation.

According to Minnerath, many hospitals and surgeons adopted these measures as soon as it was clear that research supported them.  However, no one was tracking their use, and when hospitals did start looking they found room for improvement.

“In this ever-changing world of medical care, it’s important to stay educated on developments,” Moberly said. She also said that instituting policies and procedures was important and committing to goals as well. In addition to the SCIP goals she noted that St. Joseph focuses on the National Patient Safety Goals. The patient safety goals, which address surgery as well as other areas of care, are promoted by the Joint Commission, which accredits health care organizations.

Moberly said St. Joseph was committed to maintaining its level of success through the end of the SCIP Project in 2011 and beyond. She said the changes made have become part of a new culture at St. Joseph Medical Center that ensures optimal care for patients facing surgery.

-Courtesy of Robyn Cantrell Lake