Virginia Hospital Wins AHA-McKesson Quality Prize
The 2014 American Hospital Association-McKesson Quest for Quality Prize® will be awarded July 20 to VCU Medical Center of Richmond, Va. It will receive $75,000.
The VCU Medical Center, an academic medical center serving patients in the Richmond, Va., area, is the recipient of this year’s American Hospital Association-McKesson Quest for Quality Prize®. AHA announced the center was selected by a committee of health care quality and patient safety experts "based on its sustainable and pervasive approach to achieve the Institute of Medicine's (IOM) six quality aims for safe, effective, efficient, timely, patient-centered and equitable health care." The center will receive $75,000; the honorees will be recognized July 20 during the Health Forum-American Hospital Association Leadership Summit in San Diego.
Carolinas Medical Center-NorthEast in Concord, N.C., was named a finalist and will receive $12,500. MUSC Medical Center in Charleston, S.C.; the Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center in Indianapolis; and University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics in Madison, Wis., received the Citation of Merit.
Presented annually, the prize is supported by a grant from the McKesson Corporation.
"These remarkable hospitals started an important journey with their staff, patients, and communities to create a culture that prizes safe and effective care," said Rich Umbdenstock, AHA's president and CEO. "By involving their whole organization, these hospitals have become national leaders in providing the highest quality of care."
"As health care continues to transform, improving the quality of care and patient safety is more important than ever," said John Hammergren, chairman and CEO of McKesson Corporation. "The leadership and innovation that these award-winning organizations have demonstrated will help improve health care quality and patient care throughout the industry."
According to the AHA announcement, VCU Medical Center's innovations include an early warning system that signals a rapid response team and a daily infection audit for each patient.