CCH joins statewide effort to improve patient care

Callaway Community Hospital has joined the Missouri Hospital Association's Hospital Engagement Network to help improve patient care and reduce preventable hospital readmissions.

Ruth DeOrnellas, risk manager at Callaway Community Hospital, said statewide network activities will concentrate on 10 key target areas.

"The program's goal is to reduce patient harm by 40 percent and hospital readmissions by 20 percent by 2013," DeOrnellas said.

The effort throughout Missouri through the network of hospitals is funded by a contract from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in support of the Partnership for Patients campaign.

As a member of the network, Callaway Community Hospital will work with other Missouri hospitals and the Health Research & Educational Trust, an affiliate of the American Hospital Association, to adopt evidence-based practices that reduce patient harm and hospital readmissions.

DeOrnellas said the hospitals in the statewide network will concentrate on improving hospital care practices in these 10 areas:

• Pressure ulcers.

• Injuries from falls and immobility.

• Central line-associated urinary tract infections.

• Ventilator-associated pneumonia.

• Surgical site infection.

• Adverse drug events.

• Venous thromboembolism

• Obstetrical adverse advents

• Preventable readmissions

To help the tornado-stricken people of Dumas and surroundings, donations can be made to the Delta Area Disaster Relief Fund, care of the Delta Area Community Foundation, P.O. Box 894, Dumas, AR, 71639, or through the Arkansas Community Foundation, 700 S. Rock St., Little Rock, AR, 72202.