When someone you love needs medical care, you want to know one thing above all else: that your loved one is in the very best hands.
In Western North Carolina, there’s a long history of quality work coming from skilled hands.
You see it in the traditional pottery, woodworking, weaving and metalsmithing of artisans and in the precision craftsmanship of regional manufacturers. You see it in arts, education, retail and government.
The people of these mountains take their work seriously. At Novant Health, so do we.
That’s why safety and quality are the very bedrock of the healthcare we provide. We honor the hard work of our talented nurses, doctors and other clinicians by creating a culture that puts safety and quality first.
Taking a concept from industries such as aviation, our goal is to be a “high-reliability organization,” one that consistently performs with safety, quality and efficiency in a high-risk environment.
I’m proud to say I’m part of a health system that is so committed to patient safety and medical quality that we created a playbook for achieving excellence in those areas – and are making it available to anyone who wants to read it. Take a look here!
Our Novant Health Institute of Safety & Quality leads us in real-time quality reporting, daily safety huddles, patient safety coaches and frequent team member surveys. We encourage team members to speak out about safety concerns and have created a culture where they can do that without fear of reprisal. We harness data to improve treatments and the total experience of each patient. And we assume that there is always room to improve.
This hard work is paying off. Novant Health hospitals are nationally recognized for safety. Here’s just a bit of our record:
- Nine of our hospitals this fall earned “A” safety ratings from The Leapfrog Group, the nation’s hospital safety watchdog.
- These nine hospitals are indeed among an elite group, they outperformed nearly 70% of hospitals in the U.S. for patient safety.
- For the fifth consecutive grading period, the health system earned the most A grades in the Carolinas.
- Six hospitals were also honored with an elite “Straight A” designation for earning an “A” rating in at least five consecutive cycles of the Hospital Safety Grade.
- We work to ensure patients are in the best hands – and not only in our hospitals. Five Novant Health ambulatory surgery centers have been named to Newsweek’s America’s Best Ambulatory Surgery Center rankings, highlighting their commitment to the highest quality of care.
- Our medical clinics perform in the top 20% across the country in delivering remarkable patient experiences. Our patients tell us we work well together as a team to care for them and trust us as their premier care provider.
I became a surgeon because I wanted to take a direct role in saving lives. I wanted to use my hands to heal. Successful surgery – like all of healthcare – takes an unwavering focus on the details, while never losing sight of the big picture. You keep your patients safe. You give your patients the highest quality treatment possible.
As a doctor, I’m humbled when someone trusts me with their health. And as a healthcare system, we strive to always be worthy of that trust.
