Goals

Short Term

At the end of six months the University of Kentucky Healthcare enterprise will achieve the following operational goals:

1. Establish visible enterprise-level platform for quality across adult and pediatric inpatient and ambulatory care
2. Identify a core set of high priority initiatives in quality and process improvement for UK HealthCare

• Identify major goals for patient safety, clinical outcomes, patient satisfaction, and efficiency of processes – with standardization as a key tactic
• Address external mandates as well as internal strategic priorities

3. Achieve a high performance on all seven of the CMS measures and all National Patient Safety Goals
4. Streamline and coordinate the approach to addressing patient complaints related to clinical quality and safety
5. Achieve and maintain compliance with JCAHO accreditation
6. Establish a visible clinical and multidisciplinary presence at the medical center in the form of quality of care rounds and consultations.
7. Create a streamlined patient safety and quality dashboard
8. Use data to improve quality, safety, service, and efficiency of care
9. Develop dissemination plan

Long Term

At the end of 18 months the University of Kentucky Healthcare enterprise will have:

1. Developed a streamlined and coordinated approach to monitoring and measuring patient safety and quality
2. Refine process utilizing patient safety and quality metrics that drives implementation
3. Demonstrate sustainability of improved clinical outcomes related to implemented tactics
4. Achieve measurable change in enterprise culture regarding patient safety and quality
5. Developed a proactive stance in the approach to patient quality and safety
6. Develop reward and recognition system
7. Produce results that achieve national recognition

The CEQS will adopt a multidisciplinary team model for improvement where each team must have representation from physicians, nursing, pharmacy, administration, CEQS staff, and Graduate Medical Education. Other disciplines such as nutrition, respiratory therapy, infection control, and risk management will contribute on a project-basis. In order to achieve these goals, the CEQS will require the authority to enforce rules, etc., otherwise the Center cannot be held liable for these goals, only for providing the resources to achieve these goals; Department heads/chairs/etc need to share the goals.