It’s sometimes hard to think about healthcare as being a competitive industry – but Detroit Medical Center is dedicated to staying ahead of the crowd when it comes to the quality of our care. Providing high quality healthcare to our patients and the communities we serve has always been our first priority. It’s why we’ve been recognized with so many national awards for quality and safety inside of our walls, and why we invested millions in the implementation of an Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system in every hospital in our system -- something no other healthcare provider in the state can claim. (Learn more about our EMR here.)
Leaping Ahead
For the fourth consecutive year, multiple DMC hospitals met the stringent standards of the Leapfrog Group and have received honors as top hospitals in the nation for quality and safety. DMC Detroit Receiving Hospital, DMC Harper University Hospital and DMC Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital are among only 65 hospitals nationally to receive the recognition in 2010.
DMC won this recognition and many others by dedicating our care to several core principles, especially Computerized Physician Order Entry – our physicians enter all patient prescriptions and other information into our nationally recognized Electronic Medical Record system, linked to powerful error prevention software. We’ve put an end to paper orders, handwritten notes and disconnected files that can lead to medical errors. Go to our Leapfrog Award page to learn more about the other standards and practices that earned us this accolade.
The DMC hospitals have a long tradition of innovation and high quality. However, over the past several years, there has been even more emphasis and energy placed on quality and safety - it is the foundation of everything we do in healthcare. Every person at the DMC is committed to the highest quality and safest hospitals, including the governing boards, leadership, medical staff, and front line employees.
The DMC has focused on several key initiatives to help drive quality improvement. The first is the electronic medical record. DMC hospitals are among the most advanced in the country for their health information technology. With Computerized Physician Order Entry and bar code scanning, medication errors have been reduced significantly. Quality and safety dashboards are included in daily workflow through the EMR, which allows staff to focus on quality in "real time."
Electronic records also allow for care to move away from memory based practice with improved standardization, and quick access to data. Other initiatives have included a successful focus on reducing hospital acquired infections, a system-wide approach to intensive care, and more quality and safety training. Being recognized by the Leapfrog group and its business community is a tremendous honor. The "leaps" to improve healthcare quality, including intensivists in intensive care units, commitment to national best safe practices, computerized order entry, and improved efficiency are priorities at all DMC hospitals. Recognition as top hospitals for quality and safety demonstrates proof of this commitment.
Here’s how our expert clinical leaders view the role of quality and safety at DMC:
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George H. Shade, Jr., M.D., F.A.C.O.G., F.A.C.P.E.
Executive Vice President, Chief Quality & Safety Officer
The DMC hospitals have a long tradition of innovation and high quality. However, over the past several years, there has been even more emphasis and energy placed on quality and safety - it is the foundation of everything we do in healthcare. Every person at the DMC is committed to the highest quality and safest hospitals, including the governing boards, leadership, medical staff, and front line employees.
The DMC has focused on several key initiatives to help drive quality improvement. The first is the electronic medical record. DMC hospitals are among the most advanced in the country for their health information technology. With Computerized Physician Order Entry and bar code scanning, medication errors have been reduced significantly. Quality and safety dashboards are included in daily workflow through the EMR, which allows staff to focus on quality in "real time."
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Electronic records also allow for care to move away from memory based practice with improved standardization, and quick access to data. Other initiatives have included a successful focus on reducing hospital acquired infections, a system-wide approach to intensive care, and more quality and safety training. Being recognized by the Leapfrog group and its business community is a tremendous honor. The "leaps" to improve healthcare quality, including intensivists in intensive care units, commitment to national best safe practices, computerized order entry, and improved efficiency are priorities at all DMC hospitals. Recognition as top hospitals for quality and safety demonstrates proof of this commitment.
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Leland Babitch, M.D., MBA
DMC Chief Medical Information Officer
At the DMC, we are proud to be the recipients of national awards and recognition. The fact that groups such as Leapfrog and the American Nursing Association have recognized our hospitals for their outstanding quality and safety proves that we are successful in putting patient care above all other priorities.
At the DMC, we aim to provide the highest quality of care, utilizing the most advanced tools and practices available. We are recognized leaders in EMR implementation, nursing practice, and have nationally and internationally recognized physicians and teachers. Other hospitals may not always win beauty contests, but we hope that patients and their doctors will choose substance over looks when it comes to their medical care.
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