Hospitals in pursuit of excellence

Transparency Drives Culture Change

For many hospitals, the road to improved quality often begins with transparency, where unexpected revelations can ultimately catalyze lasting change. Leaders at Truman Medical Centers, Kansas City, Mo., found that out in 2008, when a survey revealed that clinicians complied with hand hygiene protocols only 37 percent of the time. Executive leaders supported a comprehensive plan to reverse those figures, including a new reporting system for the entire system, 300 new or relocated hand sanitizer dispensers and increased employee education. The effort worked?these days, the organization is regularly exceeding 80 percent compliance with hand hygiene, while ambulatory clinics are consistently attaining compliance of 100 percent. "It's very, very important," says George Reisz, M.D., chair of the department of medicine for the University of Missouri ? Kansas City School of Medicine and led the hand hygiene initiative at Truman . "It's good that we're better at it, and the institution really recognizes importance of it."