Quality & Patient Safety

Illustrating the cost of poor quality

Patient Safety Monitor, August 1, 2009

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As more hospital budgets are cut, it’s important for staff members who work in quality and patient safety to understand what points to emphasize when making a case for joining a new initiative, launching a new quality improvement program, or asking for increased resources in the name of patient safety.
Additionally, many patient safety officers, nurse managers, and quality improvement specialists are being asked for their expertise in quality initiatives and to illustrate where hospitals can find savings with increased patient safety.
Depending on the size of the facility, people in various positions may be in charge of determining how to divvy up the budget or advocate for the best use of existing resources. More often than not, however, that decision will include some involvement from the chief financial officer (CFO) or other members of the hospital’s executive team.
“Realize that CFOs now are more abreast of the clinical issues and not just a number cruncher as they were 10, 15, or 20 years ago,” says John Domansky, CFO at Knoxville (IA) Hospital and Clinics. “There’s a lot more of a balanced approach now in the CFO world than there was in the past.”

This is an excerpt from a member only article. To read the article in its entirety, please login or subscribe to Patient Safety Monitor.

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