Quality
Health Composite Scoring | Quality Indicators | Additional Quality & Safety Initiatives
Newman Regional Health is among the 5,200 hospitals participating in the Hospital Quality Alliance, a quality assessment program managed by The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is a Federal agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Participating hospitals voluntarily agree to publicly report process of care measures on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Hospital Compare Web site.
Back to top
Quality Indicators
Quality indicators are medical information from patient records converted into a rate or percentage that shows how well hospitals care for their patients. Quality indicators give you information about how well a hospital provides care for some but not all of their patients. You can use this quality information to help you compare hospitals.
Quality Indicators include:
Back to top
Congestive Heart Failure
Heart failure is a weakening of the heart’s pumping power. With heart failure, the body doesn’t get enough oxygen and nutrients to meet its needs. The heart tries to pump more blood, but the muscle walls become weaker over time. To view the latest published data, please visit the CMS Hospital Compare website and click on the Process of Care Measures tab.
Symptoms of heart failure may include:
- Shortness of breath from fluid in the lungs
- Swelling (such as in legs, ankles, or abdomen)
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
- Weakness
- Cold or clammy skin
- Rapid or irregular heartbeat
Heart failure can be a result of heart condition due to:
- Hardening of the arteries, also known as coronary artery disease
- Heart attack
- Cardiomyopathy (heart muscle damage from infection or alcohol or drug abuse)
- Certain medical conditions that overwork the heart over time, such as high blood pressure, kidney disease, diabetes, or a defect from birth
Learn more about heart failure in Newman Regional Health's Patient Education Library or visit Newman Express Urgent Care for a comprehensive evaluation.
Back to top
Heart Attack
A heart attack (acute myocardial infarction) happens when the arteries leading to the heart become blocked and the blood supply is slowed or stopped. When the heart muscle cannot get the oxygen and nutrients it needs, the part of the heart tissue that is affected may die. To view the latest published data, please visit the CMS Hospital Compare website and click on the Process of Care Measures tab.
The symptoms of a heart attack can include:
- Chest pain: Crushing, squeezing or burning pain in the center of the chest that may radiate to the arm or jaw
- Shortness of breath
- Dizziness or faintness
- Sweating
- Nausea
- Cold or clammy skin
- Very ill appearance or grayish skin coloring
Sometimes there may be no symptoms, especially if you have diabetes. Women sometimes have different symptoms, such as a different kind of chest pain and/or abdominal pain.
Learn more about heart attack in Newman Regional Health's Patient Education Library or visit Newman Express Urgent Care for a comprehensive evaluation
Back to top
Pneumonia
A viral or bacterial infection that fills the lungs with mucus causes pneumonia. The mucus lowers the oxygen level in the blood. Symptoms of pneumonia can include the following:
- Difficulty breathing
- "Wet" cough with mucus that looks green or bloody
- Chest pain
- Fever and chills
- Fatigue
To view the latest published data, please visit the CMS Hospital Compare website and click on the Process of Care Measures tab.
Flu shots can help reduce the risk of influenza, a serious and sometimes deadly lung infection. Influenza can spread quickly in a community. Hospitalized patients with pneumonia should get a flu shot during flu season to protect them from another lung infection and to help prevent the spread of influenza in the community. Beginning December 2006, Hospital Compare will report on how well hospitals administer flu shots to patients with pneumonia.
Learn more about pneumonia and the flu and flu shots in Newman Regional Health's Patient Education Library or visit Newman Express Urgent Care for a comprehensive evaluation.
Back to top
Surgical Care
Hospitals can improve surgical care and reduce the risk of wound infection after surgery by providing the right medicines at the right time on the day of surgery.
There are also steps that you, as a patient, can take to make sure the surgery is as safe as possible. For example, your doctor or nurse can tell you how to wash with an antibiotic soap the day before surgery. You can also give your doctor or nurse a list of all your medications, including vitamins, herbal medicines, and over-the-counter medications. You should also tell your doctor or nurse about any allergies and bad reactions to anesthesia.
Sometimes patients get an infection after surgery, even if the hospital took steps to prevent it. Signs of infection to look out for include:
- The surgical wound is red, hot, and swollen
- You have a fever of over 100 degrees after you go home
- A smelly or yellow/green fluid is coming out of the wound
- Your pain is increasing even though you are taking pain medication
To view the latest published data, please visit the CMS Hospital Compare website and click on the Process of Care Measures tab.
Call your doctor or local hospital immediately if you have any of these signs of infection after your surgery or visit Newman Express Urgent Care for a comprehensive evaluation.
Back to top
Patient Satisfaction
All across America, hospitals, including Newman Regional Health in Emporia, Kansas, are leading the way in health care by being transparent about the quality of care they provide. Newman Regional Health shares information about patients’ experience of care with the public. To view the latest published data, please visit the CMS Hospital Compare website and click on the Survey of Patients' Hospital Experiences tab.
HCAHPS (pronounced H-caps) is the first national, publicly reported survey of patients’ perspective of their hospital care. As a part of CMS’ (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid) public reporting initiatives, the HCAHPS patient experience data was released to the public on March 28, 2008.
The survey asks patients 27 questions about their hospital experience, including 18 questions items about key aspects of their hospital experience. These questions are bundled into eight categories and reported as ten “composite” scores.
The scores highlight the “always” results because this is the answer that most strongly indicates a patients’ overall satisfaction.
As a community hospital, the Hospital Board and Leadership support transparency and providing patients with information about the quality of care they receive. As an organization committed to continuous quality improvement, Newman Regional Health continually strives to improve outcomes and patient satisfaction.
Back to top
Outcome of Care Measures
"30-Day Mortality" is when patients die within 30 days of their admission to a hospital. Below, the death rates for each hospital are compared to the U.S. National Rate. The rates take into account how sick patients were before they were admitted to the hospital. To view the latest published data, please visit the CMS Hospital Compare website and click on the Outcome of Care Measures tab.
"30-Day Readmission" is when patients who have had a recent hospital stay need to go back into a hospital again within 30 days of their discharge. Below, the rates of readmission for each hospital are compared to the U.S. National Rate. The rates take into account how sick patients were before they were admitted to the hospital. To view the latest published data, please visit the CMS Hospital Compare website and click on the Outcome of Care Measures tab.
Back to top
Use of Medical Imaging
These measures give you information about hospitals' use of medical imaging tests for outpatients based on the following:
- Protecting patients’ safety, such as keeping patients’ exposure to radiation and other risks as low as possible.
- Following up properly when screening tests such as mammograms show a possible problem.
- Avoiding the risk, stress, and cost of doing imaging tests that patients may not need.
The information shown here is limited to medical imaging facilities that are part of a hospital or associated with a hospital. These facilities can be inside or near the hospital, or in a different location. This information only includes medical imaging done on outpatients. Medical imaging tests done for patients who have been admitted to the hospital as inpatients aren’t included.These measures are based on Medicare claims data. To view the latest published data, please visit the CMS Hospital Compare website and click on the Use of Medical Imaging tab.
Back to top
Newman Regional Health Other Quality and Safety Initiatives
At Newman Regional Health, we take our responsibility to serve the healthcare needs of the Emporia, Kansas community very seriously. Of the many things we have accomplished recently, there is none more important to us than providing safe patient care.
Other quality initiatives include:
- Implementation of a new fall risk assessment that has reduced patient falls.
- The nursing staff has implemented hourly rounding on all patients, numerous initiatives to prevent complications, as well as many other safeguards based on best practices and national safety initiatives.
- Automated hand sanitizers inside and outside patient rooms, increased efforts in identification, and improved isolation techniques for MRSA and other resistant organisms have provided increased protection for our patient and visitors, reducing the chance of an infection.
Quality and patient safety is now a part of the Newman Regional Health website as part of our desire to be transparent to our patients and community. Everyone has a role in making healthcare safe. Doctors, nurses, and the healthcare organizations across the county are working to make healthcare safe. As a patient, you can make your care safer by being an active, involved, and informed member of your healthcare team.
Back to top
Wristband Standardization
Patient safety is a top priority for Newman Regional Health and Kansas Hospital Association. Newman Regional Health uses color-coded “alert” wristbands to detect Allergy, Do Not Resuscitate, Restricted Extremity, Latex Allergy, and Fall Risk patients including all inpatients; observation, same day surgery, and emergency patients; and medical, telemetry, and ICU outpatients. This initiative is not only throughout our state, but in 23 other states as well.
Kansas healthcare providers are working together to make patients safer. We accomplish this goal by working together on statewide projects in an endeavor to use the same methods or processes, like color-coded wristbands. Standardization makes it safer for both clinicians and patients. Once standardization is achieved, it means whether you are traveling on vacation or relocating to work in states that have adopted this standardization, hospitals will be using the same color standardization. “Our hospital is proud to be a supporter of this collaborative work, making healthcare safer and better for patients and their families,” says Bob Driewer, CEO.
Alert wristbands are used in hospitals to quickly communicate a certain healthcare status or an “alert” that a patient may have. This is done so every staff member can provide the best care possible, even if they do not know that patient. The different colors have certain meanings.
RED means ALLERGY ALERT
If a patient has an allergy to any medications or foods, we want to know. It may not seem important to the patient, but it could be very important in the care they receive.
PURPLE means “DO NOT RESUSCITATE”
Some patients have expressed an end-of-life wish, and we honor that.
PINK means RESTRICTED EXTREMITY
A Restricted Extremity means the patient’s extremity (arms or legs) should be handled with extreme care. Healthcare providers are alerted to check with the nurse prior to any tests or procedures.
GREEN means LATEX ALLERGY
When a patient has a green sticker on their wristband, it indicates an allergic reaction to latex.
At Newman Regional Health, colored stickers are affixed on white wristbands for Allergy, Do Not Resuscitate, Restricted Extremity, and Latex Allergy. Instead of using a yellow sticker (symbolizing Fall Risk) on a white wristband, a yellow wristband is used for Fall Risk so any healthcare provider can easily identify from a distance a patient who is getting out of bed or is walking that needs assistance for those activities. The words for the alerts are also written on all the wristband stickers to reduce the chance of confusing the alert messages. A colored matching sticker is also placed on the patient’s chart.
Back to top
Background on the Wristband Standardization Initiative
In 2005, a Pennsylvania hospital submitted a report to the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Reporting System describing an event in which clinicians nearly failed to rescue a patient who had a cardiac arrest because the patient had been incorrectly designated as “DNR” (do not resuscitate). The source of the confusion was that a nurse had incorrectly placed a yellow wristband on the patient. In this hospital, the color yellow signified that the patient should not be resuscitated. In a nearby hospital, in which this nurse also worked, yellow signified “restricted extremity.” Fortunately, in this case, the mistake was identified and the patient was resuscitated. However, this “near miss” highlights a potential source of error and an opportunity to improve patient safety by re-evaluating the use of color-coded wristbands.
A survey was conducted in August, 2007 of Kansas hospitals to evaluate the risk for such an event. The results showed that 39 different categories of wristbands were used in Kansas hospitals including 10 different colors to denote DNR status, 8 colors for Fall Risk status, and 5 colors for Allergy. The risk was apparent. The answer was to standardize colors for wristbands. The good news was that all hospitals responding to the survey indicated that they would be willing to adopt a standardized wristband color-coded system.
Back to top
Quality
Health Composite Scoring | Quality Indicators | Additional Quality & Safety Initiatives
Newman Regional Health is among the 5,200 hospitals participating in the Hospital Quality Alliance, a quality assessment program managed by The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is a Federal agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Participating hospitals voluntarily agree to publicly report process of care measures on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Hospital Compare Web site.
Back to top
Quality Indicators
Quality indicators are medical information from patient records converted into a rate or percentage that shows how well hospitals care for their patients. Quality indicators give you information about how well a hospital provides care for some but not all of their patients. You can use this quality information to help you compare hospitals.
Quality Indicators include:
Back to top
Congestive Heart Failure
Heart failure is a weakening of the heart’s pumping power. With heart failure, the body doesn’t get enough oxygen and nutrients to meet its needs. The heart tries to pump more blood, but the muscle walls become weaker over time. To view the latest published data, please visit the CMS Hospital Compare website and click on the Process of Care Measures tab.
Symptoms of heart failure may include:
- Shortness of breath from fluid in the lungs
- Swelling (such as in legs, ankles, or abdomen)
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
- Weakness
- Cold or clammy skin
- Rapid or irregular heartbeat
Heart failure can be a result of heart condition due to:
- Hardening of the arteries, also known as coronary artery disease
- Heart attack
- Cardiomyopathy (heart muscle damage from infection or alcohol or drug abuse)
- Certain medical conditions that overwork the heart over time, such as high blood pressure, kidney disease, diabetes, or a defect from birth
Learn more about heart failure in Newman Regional Health's Patient Education Library or visit Newman Express Urgent Care for a comprehensive evaluation.
Back to top
Heart Attack
A heart attack (acute myocardial infarction) happens when the arteries leading to the heart become blocked and the blood supply is slowed or stopped. When the heart muscle cannot get the oxygen and nutrients it needs, the part of the heart tissue that is affected may die. To view the latest published data, please visit the CMS Hospital Compare website and click on the Process of Care Measures tab.
The symptoms of a heart attack can include:
- Chest pain: Crushing, squeezing or burning pain in the center of the chest that may radiate to the arm or jaw
- Shortness of breath
- Dizziness or faintness
- Sweating
- Nausea
- Cold or clammy skin
- Very ill appearance or grayish skin coloring
Sometimes there may be no symptoms, especially if you have diabetes. Women sometimes have different symptoms, such as a different kind of chest pain and/or abdominal pain.
Learn more about heart attack in Newman Regional Health's Patient Education Library or visit Newman Express Urgent Care for a comprehensive evaluation
Back to top
Pneumonia
A viral or bacterial infection that fills the lungs with mucus causes pneumonia. The mucus lowers the oxygen level in the blood. Symptoms of pneumonia can include the following:
- Difficulty breathing
- "Wet" cough with mucus that looks green or bloody
- Chest pain
- Fever and chills
- Fatigue
To view the latest published data, please visit the CMS Hospital Compare website and click on the Process of Care Measures tab.
Flu shots can help reduce the risk of influenza, a serious and sometimes deadly lung infection. Influenza can spread quickly in a community. Hospitalized patients with pneumonia should get a flu shot during flu season to protect them from another lung infection and to help prevent the spread of influenza in the community. Beginning December 2006, Hospital Compare will report on how well hospitals administer flu shots to patients with pneumonia.
Learn more about pneumonia and the flu and flu shots in Newman Regional Health's Patient Education Library or visit Newman Express Urgent Care for a comprehensive evaluation.
Back to top
Surgical Care
Hospitals can improve surgical care and reduce the risk of wound infection after surgery by providing the right medicines at the right time on the day of surgery.
There are also steps that you, as a patient, can take to make sure the surgery is as safe as possible. For example, your doctor or nurse can tell you how to wash with an antibiotic soap the day before surgery. You can also give your doctor or nurse a list of all your medications, including vitamins, herbal medicines, and over-the-counter medications. You should also tell your doctor or nurse about any allergies and bad reactions to anesthesia.
Sometimes patients get an infection after surgery, even if the hospital took steps to prevent it. Signs of infection to look out for include:
- The surgical wound is red, hot, and swollen
- You have a fever of over 100 degrees after you go home
- A smelly or yellow/green fluid is coming out of the wound
- Your pain is increasing even though you are taking pain medication
To view the latest published data, please visit the CMS Hospital Compare website and click on the Process of Care Measures tab.
Call your doctor or local hospital immediately if you have any of these signs of infection after your surgery or visit Newman Express Urgent Care for a comprehensive evaluation.
Back to top
Patient Satisfaction
All across America, hospitals, including Newman Regional Health in Emporia, Kansas, are leading the way in health care by being transparent about the quality of care they provide. Newman Regional Health shares information about patients’ experience of care with the public. To view the latest published data, please visit the CMS Hospital Compare website and click on the Survey of Patients' Hospital Experiences tab.
HCAHPS (pronounced H-caps) is the first national, publicly reported survey of patients’ perspective of their hospital care. As a part of CMS’ (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid) public reporting initiatives, the HCAHPS patient experience data was released to the public on March 28, 2008.
The survey asks patients 27 questions about their hospital experience, including 18 questions items about key aspects of their hospital experience. These questions are bundled into eight categories and reported as ten “composite” scores.
The scores highlight the “always” results because this is the answer that most strongly indicates a patients’ overall satisfaction.
As a community hospital, the Hospital Board and Leadership support transparency and providing patients with information about the quality of care they receive. As an organization committed to continuous quality improvement, Newman Regional Health continually strives to improve outcomes and patient satisfaction.
Back to top
Outcome of Care Measures
"30-Day Mortality" is when patients die within 30 days of their admission to a hospital. Below, the death rates for each hospital are compared to the U.S. National Rate. The rates take into account how sick patients were before they were admitted to the hospital. To view the latest published data, please visit the CMS Hospital Compare website and click on the Outcome of Care Measures tab.
"30-Day Readmission" is when patients who have had a recent hospital stay need to go back into a hospital again within 30 days of their discharge. Below, the rates of readmission for each hospital are compared to the U.S. National Rate. The rates take into account how sick patients were before they were admitted to the hospital. To view the latest published data, please visit the CMS Hospital Compare website and click on the Outcome of Care Measures tab.
Back to top
Use of Medical Imaging
These measures give you information about hospitals' use of medical imaging tests for outpatients based on the following:
- Protecting patients’ safety, such as keeping patients’ exposure to radiation and other risks as low as possible.
- Following up properly when screening tests such as mammograms show a possible problem.
- Avoiding the risk, stress, and cost of doing imaging tests that patients may not need.
The information shown here is limited to medical imaging facilities that are part of a hospital or associated with a hospital. These facilities can be inside or near the hospital, or in a different location. This information only includes medical imaging done on outpatients. Medical imaging tests done for patients who have been admitted to the hospital as inpatients aren’t included.These measures are based on Medicare claims data. To view the latest published data, please visit the CMS Hospital Compare website and click on the Use of Medical Imaging tab.
Back to top
Newman Regional Health Other Quality and Safety Initiatives
At Newman Regional Health, we take our responsibility to serve the healthcare needs of the Emporia, Kansas community very seriously. Of the many things we have accomplished recently, there is none more important to us than providing safe patient care.
Other quality initiatives include:
- Implementation of a new fall risk assessment that has reduced patient falls.
- The nursing staff has implemented hourly rounding on all patients, numerous initiatives to prevent complications, as well as many other safeguards based on best practices and national safety initiatives.
- Automated hand sanitizers inside and outside patient rooms, increased efforts in identification, and improved isolation techniques for MRSA and other resistant organisms have provided increased protection for our patient and visitors, reducing the chance of an infection.
Quality and patient safety is now a part of the Newman Regional Health website as part of our desire to be transparent to our patients and community. Everyone has a role in making healthcare safe. Doctors, nurses, and the healthcare organizations across the county are working to make healthcare safe. As a patient, you can make your care safer by being an active, involved, and informed member of your healthcare team.
Back to top
Wristband Standardization
Patient safety is a top priority for Newman Regional Health and Kansas Hospital Association. Newman Regional Health uses color-coded “alert” wristbands to detect Allergy, Do Not Resuscitate, Restricted Extremity, Latex Allergy, and Fall Risk patients including all inpatients; observation, same day surgery, and emergency patients; and medical, telemetry, and ICU outpatients. This initiative is not only throughout our state, but in 23 other states as well.
Kansas healthcare providers are working together to make patients safer. We accomplish this goal by working together on statewide projects in an endeavor to use the same methods or processes, like color-coded wristbands. Standardization makes it safer for both clinicians and patients. Once standardization is achieved, it means whether you are traveling on vacation or relocating to work in states that have adopted this standardization, hospitals will be using the same color standardization. “Our hospital is proud to be a supporter of this collaborative work, making healthcare safer and better for patients and their families,” says Bob Driewer, CEO.
Alert wristbands are used in hospitals to quickly communicate a certain healthcare status or an “alert” that a patient may have. This is done so every staff member can provide the best care possible, even if they do not know that patient. The different colors have certain meanings.
RED means ALLERGY ALERT
If a patient has an allergy to any medications or foods, we want to know. It may not seem important to the patient, but it could be very important in the care they receive.
PURPLE means “DO NOT RESUSCITATE”
Some patients have expressed an end-of-life wish, and we honor that.
PINK means RESTRICTED EXTREMITY
A Restricted Extremity means the patient’s extremity (arms or legs) should be handled with extreme care. Healthcare providers are alerted to check with the nurse prior to any tests or procedures.
GREEN means LATEX ALLERGY
When a patient has a green sticker on their wristband, it indicates an allergic reaction to latex.
At Newman Regional Health, colored stickers are affixed on white wristbands for Allergy, Do Not Resuscitate, Restricted Extremity, and Latex Allergy. Instead of using a yellow sticker (symbolizing Fall Risk) on a white wristband, a yellow wristband is used for Fall Risk so any healthcare provider can easily identify from a distance a patient who is getting out of bed or is walking that needs assistance for those activities. The words for the alerts are also written on all the wristband stickers to reduce the chance of confusing the alert messages. A colored matching sticker is also placed on the patient’s chart.
Back to top
Background on the Wristband Standardization Initiative
In 2005, a Pennsylvania hospital submitted a report to the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Reporting System describing an event in which clinicians nearly failed to rescue a patient who had a cardiac arrest because the patient had been incorrectly designated as “DNR” (do not resuscitate). The source of the confusion was that a nurse had incorrectly placed a yellow wristband on the patient. In this hospital, the color yellow signified that the patient should not be resuscitated. In a nearby hospital, in which this nurse also worked, yellow signified “restricted extremity.” Fortunately, in this case, the mistake was identified and the patient was resuscitated. However, this “near miss” highlights a potential source of error and an opportunity to improve patient safety by re-evaluating the use of color-coded wristbands.
A survey was conducted in August, 2007 of Kansas hospitals to evaluate the risk for such an event. The results showed that 39 different categories of wristbands were used in Kansas hospitals including 10 different colors to denote DNR status, 8 colors for Fall Risk status, and 5 colors for Allergy. The risk was apparent. The answer was to standardize colors for wristbands. The good news was that all hospitals responding to the survey indicated that they would be willing to adopt a standardized wristband color-coded system.
Back to top