This content is sponsored by Adventist HealthCare Fort Washington Medical Center.
For the second year in a row, Adventist HealthCare Fort Washington Medical Center is the only hospital in Prince George鈥檚 County to earn an 鈥楢鈥� Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, the only rating system focused exclusively on hospital safety.
鈥淚n order for a hospital to receive high scores, they have to show sustained results over time,鈥� said Daffodil Baez, president of Adventist HealthCare Fort Washington Medical Center. 鈥淚t means things like positive patient experiences, excellent clinical outcomes and low or non-existent infection rates.鈥�
The Leapfrog Group is a nonprofit watchdog organization that serves as a voice for health care consumers and purchasers by evaluating hospitals based on how well they prevent medical errors, infections and other harm.
Fort Washington Medical Center has undergone a remarkable transformation as it works to reduce health care disparities in southern Prince George鈥檚 County.
An environment built on safety
Each morning, leaders report on events from the previous day, flagging any safety concerns and discussing how to address them.
Employees ensure policy compliance by using checklists, reports and other tools.
鈥淥ne of the key components here is that we have to have very strong leadership support and commitment to patient safety,鈥� said Fiona McMahon, the hospital鈥檚 director of Quality and Safety Services. 鈥淲e want to make sure that we have a lot of good foundational processes that support safety.鈥�
To help maintain a culture of transparency and accountability with data reports, hospital leaders established a patient safety committee which convenes regularly to solicit feedback and recommendations for performance improvement projects.
When a problem is identified, staff members use data analysis to find the root cause and implement measures to address it.
鈥淲e conduct a Culture of Safety Survey annually,鈥� McMahon said. 鈥淲e analyze the results, develop action plans to address areas of opportunity and then resurvey mid-year to assess the effectiveness of the action plan implementation.”
One successful nursing initiative at Fort Washington Medical Center was the implementation of bedside shift reports, which involve nursing handoffs at the patient鈥檚 bedside.
鈥淚t enhances communication with the patient and engages them in their care,鈥� said Batavia Gillis, the hospital鈥檚 director of Professional Development, Clinical Practice and Patient Experience, who serves as interim nursing director. 鈥淚t makes patients feel more involved, and nurses feel more confident walking into that room as they are completely informed about treatment plans.鈥�
Team leaders take turns auditing and validating that bedside practices are being followed correctly.
It鈥檚 all part of the broader effort to improve safety and strengthen the hospital鈥檚 culture by keeping staff engaged, focused and consistent.
鈥淩egardless of who comes through our door, how they come through our door or how many come through our door, we can鈥檛 miss a beat,鈥� Gillis said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what we strive to do, and we try to reinforce that with the team every day, every minute and every shift.鈥�
Reassurance for the community
Fort Washington Medical Center has made innovative changes in its emergency department, including the introduction of a vertical care unit (VCU) designed to streamline patient flow and reduce wait times.
Unlike traditional models focused solely on bedside treatment, the VCU allows medical care to be delivered to patients with less severe conditions who can remain upright in chairs.
Before the VCU was introduced, the hospital faced significantly longer wait times.
The improvement came through leadership and collaboration across departments.
鈥淟eadership is what builds the culture,鈥� said Dr. Monique McCray, medical director of the Emergency Department. 鈥淚f the leaders are not modeling the culture, emphasizing it and making sure that certain metrics and standards are maintained, then the culture falls apart.鈥�
Hospital leaders meet regularly to discuss emerging health issues in the community.
For example, if there鈥檚 a spike in flu cases or certain infections, the hospital adjusts its approach to care based on that data to better meet the community鈥檚 needs.
It is a source of reassurance in southern Prince George鈥檚 County.
鈥淲e are the only emergency department for the Fort Washington community, and most of our patients have to drive about 40 minutes to get to the next hospital,鈥� McCray explained. 鈥淭he fact that we provide excellent care means everything to this community.鈥�
Baez shared that this recognition speaks volumes to the 鈥渉ard work, talent and continued dedication鈥� of the entire Fort Washington Medical Center team, because all roles, clinical and non-clinical, contribute to patient care.
鈥淲hen we say that we will be a trusted choice for exceptional care in the community we serve, we mean it,鈥� said Baez. 鈥淲e will continue to focus our efforts on delivering high quality care and fully anticipate future survey results to reflect that.鈥�
