Quality of Care
Patient Safety or Quality of Care Concern
Please inform our hospital staff if you have a patient safety or a quality of care concern. If our staff are not able to correct the issue, you may contact the Department Manager, the Patient Representative, or Hospital Administration.
- To contact the Department Manager, dial '0' on any hospital phone and ask the operator to call the manager of the department in which you have a concern.
- The Patient Representative can be reached at (815) 431-5324.
- The number for Hospital Administration is (815) 431-5454.
We want to solve any patient safety or quality of care concern you may have. If you do not feel a concern was addressed to your satisfaction, you may report the concern to the Joint Commission by calling (800) 994-6610. The concern may also be reported to the Illinois Department of Public Health by calling (800) 252-4343. More information about these organizations is listed below.
Measuring Quality
Not all medical centers and physicians are alike. Differences in quality matter most when you need sophisticated medical care for a complex condition. The doctor and medical center you choose will have a direct impact on your care - especially when you need treatment for a serious condition or disease.
Quality is measured in many different ways. While there is no universal agreement on which method should be used, the following criteria are often cited as quality indicators:
Medical Center Accreditation
The Joint Commission (JC) is an independent, not-for-profit organization that evaluates and accredits nearly 16,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. JC accreditation is recognized nationwide as a symbol of quality that reflects an organization's commitment to meeting certain performance standards. To earn and maintain accreditation, an organization must undergo an on-site survey by a JC survey team at least every three years. Our JC information is available at www.jointcommission.org.
Nursing Services
OSF Saint Elizabeth boasts a nursing staff that is highly experienced and exceptionally trained. Our hospital has the highest percentage of registered nurses in the area. These compassionate caregivers may be found throughout OSF Saint Elizabeth in clinical and non-clinical roles performing a variety of services for patients of all ages, from infants to geriatrics. In addition to providing direct patient care, our nurses coordinate patient care with the other disciplines such as physical therapy, dietitians, and social services. Our nursing staff is dedicated to providing a high level of care, focusing on safety. Patient Safe Solutions are utilized by nursing staff throughout the hospital, including a bar coding system used for passing medications, PCA's with smart pump technology, and end tidal Cox monitoring (which monitors hypoventilation) for patients receiving IV medications.
Physician Training
Board certification, or the international equivalent, means that doctors have completed specialized training that a specialty board requires. To earn board certification, physicians must have practiced for a specified period of time and then pass a difficult written and oral examination. Board certification is generally accepted as a good indication of competence and experience. Ask your physician about her or his board certifications. Additionally, some physicians are also board eligible, meaning they have completed necessary education and training and are waiting a required period of time before taking their board exam.
Satisfied Patients
Patient satisfaction often reflects how willing doctors and nurses are to listen, answer questions and explain treatments; how much time doctors spend with patients; and if the medical center is clean and the food is good. Patient satisfaction data can predict how satisfying your experience is likely to be.
Hospital Report Card Act
Pursuant to the "Hospital Report Card Act" you have the right to information regarding nurse staffing and training. In order for us to provide you this information in a timely manner, please contact us as follows:
If you would like current staffing information, please contact a nurse on the inpatient unit for which you would like the information.
If you would like information regarding staffing plans and historical data, please contact the Nursing Secretary Office at (815) 431-5355 Monday through Friday between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
If you would like information regarding staff training of personnel working in the inpatient direct care areas, please contact Human Resources at (815) 431-5318 Monday through Friday between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
Other Sources of Health Care Quality Information
Several industry and government organizations provide information about health care quality and some have proprietary reporting tools. The information these organizations provide can help you make informed, accurate decisions about healthcare quality.
Warning: Different agencies and consumer reporting sites use different definitions, data sets, and time periods and have different (or nonexistent) ways of normalizing data for comparisons (severity adjustments).
Therefore, comparisons between sources are not "apples to apples" and comparisons within a single source have to be carefully analyzed before accurate conclusions can be made (read the fine print!).
The NRC Consumer Choice Award
National Research Corporation (NRC) annually provides Consumer Choice Awards for the most-preferred hospitals in more than 140 U.S. Markets. Winners are selected from the nation's most comprehensive, nationwide consumer health care profile, the NRC Healthcare Market Guide. Data represents consumer surveys from nearly 140,000 households in the U.S. Consumer Choice Awards for hospitals are based on consumer preference responses. For more information, visit the NRC website.
Healthgrades
Healthgrades is a private company that uses Med Par public data and proprietary severity adjustment methodology to rank organizations on a scale of 1-5 "stars" with 5 being excellent. Problems abound with this data, which is two to three years old before it is released, and Healthgrades issues its stars based on three years of data. As a result, Healthgrades is not a true reflection of any medical center's current practices. In addition, its severity adjustment methodology can not be reproduced. Another limitation is that Med Par data includes only Medicare patients who are over 65 years old and who are cared for in the inpatient settings.
Illinois Foundation for Quality Health Care
The Illinois Foundation for Quality Health Care (IFQHC) is the Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) for the State of Illinois. QIOs work with physicians and health care professionals to promote high quality medical care for Medicare beneficiaries. IFQHC is contracted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to perform the designated quality improvement activities. For more information on IFQHC, visit the IFQHC website.
Illinois Department of Public Health
The Illinois Department of Public Health is responsible for protecting the state's 12.4 million residents, as well as countless visitors, through the prevention and control of disease and injury. The Department's nearly 200 programs touch virtually every age, aspect and cycle of life. For more information, visit the IDPH website.
