Deaconess Believes in Safety
At Deaconess, we plan for safety throughout the patient care continuum. Using a systems approach, everyone from the executive suite to front-line staff is tasked to continually improve how we deliver our care to you. We incorporate safety practices into what we do for our patients by focusing on both technology and clinical safety. Our systems approach is essential, because most medical errors don’t arise from a single person or issue, but rather from a combination of factors. We call these system errors and we are committed to preventing them.
Safe patient care doesn’t just happen by chance, it takes planning and dedication. Deaconess has multiple patient safety teams committed to identifying safety concerns and devising ways to prevent problems from occurring. Suggestions can involve many different solutions, such as implementing a new process or procedure, or perhaps purchasing different equipment.
To help ensure a safer patient experience we:
- Improve safety practices through the efforts of patient safety teams
- Educate employees about common clinical mistakes and how to avoid them
- Standardize and simplify processes to reduce errors
- Use technology that helps promote a safer patient experience
- Design jobs and work environments for safety
- Monitor patient safety protocols to confirm their effectiveness
The most important safeguard to providing a safer patient experience is you.
- Be your best advocate
- Know what medications you are taking – how much, how often, and for how long
- Know why you are receiving certain treatments or procedures
- Know what your treatment plan is going forward
- Tell everyone – family, visitors, and health care personnel – to wash their hands when they come to see or take care of you
- Ask questions of your physicians, nurses, and other caregivers
Together we can help make your Deaconess experience a safe one.