Commitment to Quality Care and Patient Safety (2024)

Montefiore Medical Center has been innovative in its delivery of healthcare for more than a century. We are regularly recognized for our commitment to quality and safety, exceptional advanced care and leading outcomes. Physicians, nurses and staff are focused on continually improving patient safety and the quality of care.

Our efforts have exceeded national benchmarks and continue to set the standard.

“SPEAK UP” for Safety

Everyone has a role in making healthcare safe. That includes doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals. Make your care safer by being an active, involved and informed member of your healthcare team.

Research shows that patients who take part in decisions about their own healthcare are more likely to get better faster. To help prevent healthcare mistakes, patients are urged to SPEAK UP:

State questions and concerns

  • If you do not understand, ask us to explain it another way
  • If you do not understand because you speak another language, ask for someone who speaks your language
  • Do not be afraid to SPEAK UP and ask about your safety

Pay attention to the care you are receiving

  • Make sure you are getting the right treatments and medications from the right health care providers—do not assume
  • SPEAK UP and tell your nurse or doctor if something does not seem right to you
  • Expect your healthcare team to introduce themselves and always wear their ID badges
  • Make sure your healthcare providers check your wrist band before administering any test or medication.

Educate yourself about your conditions, treatments and any medical tests you will be getting

  • Write down information that your doctor tells you, and ask your doctor if he or she has any written information or pamphlets you can keep
  • Read all medical forms and make sure you understand them before you sign them—ask your doctor or nurse to explain again in another way or using plain language if you do not understand
  • SPEAK UP to make sure all of your questions are answered

Ask a trusted family member or friend to be your advocate (advisor or supporter)

  • Your advocate can ask questions you may not think of when you are stressed or sick
  • Ask your advocate to stay with you as much as possible so they can SPEAK UP for you if you cannot
  • Make sure your advocate understands the care you want and what is important to you
  • Make sure your advocate understands the care you will need when you get home, as well as what to look for if your condition gets worse

Know what medications you take and why you take them

  • Ask why you are taking a medicine, its brand and generic names, and for written information
  • Ask about the side effects of all medicines
  • If you take many medicines, ask your doctor or pharmacist if it is safe to take them together (including vitamins, herbs and over-the-counter drugs)
  • If you do not recognize a medication, SPEAK UP and make sure it is intended for you
  • Carry an up-to-date list of the medicines you are taking and write down how much you take and when you take it, in order to go over the list with your doctor and other caregivers

Participate in all decisions about your treatment—you are the center of your healthcare team

  • You and your doctor should agree on exactly what will be done during each step of your care
  • Keep copies of your medical records from other hospitalizations and share them with your caregivers, in order to give them better information about your health history
  • Do not be afraid to ask for a second opinion—your doctors will support your request because the more information you have about all the kinds of treatment available to you, the better you will feel about the decisions made
  • Talk to your doctor and your family about your wishes regarding resuscitation and other life-saving actions
Preventing Patient Falls

Montefiore has a program to prevent falls for both inpatient and outpatient settings that include a safe environment, as well as staff and patient education. Here are some things patients can do to prevent falls while in the hospital:

  • Keep the things you use often within easy reach
  • With the nurse present, practice using the call bell before you really need it and do not be afraid to use it when you do
  • Know how to turn the light on and off from your bed
  • Do not get up on your own, even to use the bathroom—call someone for assistance
  • Sit up slowly and with help
  • Do not try to move IV poles or other equipment on your own
  • Use your walking aid as instructed by the staff
  • Be sure to use handrails in bathrooms and hallways
No Smoking Policy

Montefiore Medical Center is a smoke-free zone. If you are trying to quit smoking, these tips can help.

Learn about our smoking cessation program, and call the New York State Smokers Quitline at 1-866-NY-QUITS (697-8487).

Suicide Prevention

People who are thinking about suicide may not know they are depressed. Certain thoughts, feelings and actions can be signals that let you know you may need help. If you think you may be at risk, talk to your doctor to learn how to watch for warning signals. Call one of these suicide prevention hotlines for immediate help:

  • National Hopeline Network: 800-SUICIDE (784-2433)
  • National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-TALK (8255)
  • The Samaritans of New York: 212-673-3000
Hand Hygiene: The Number One Way to Prevent Infections

Certain germs have become resistant to the medications (antibiotics) commonly used to treat them. Germs that resist treatment with more than one antibiotic are called multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs for short). MDROs are found mainly in hospitals and long-term care facilities.

Keeping your hands clean is the best way to prevent getting or spreading germs that cause infection. Wash your hands with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand cleaner.

When to Clean Your Hands

To help prevent infection, wash your hands often, especially:

  • After using the bathroom
  • Before and after eating
  • After coughing or sneezing
  • After using a tissue
  • After touching or changing a dressing or bandage
  • After touching any object or surface that may be contaminated

Tips for Good Handwashing

  • Use warm water and work up a good lather with plenty of soap
  • Clean your whole hand, under your nails, between your fingers and up the wrists
  • Scrub well for at least 20 seconds
  • Rinse, letting the water run down your fingers, not up your wrists
  • Dry your hands well and use a paper towel to turn off the faucet and open the door

If you do not have access to soap and water, use an alcohol-based hand gel containing at least 60 percent alcohol. These products kill most germs and are easy to use. Use soap and water?not hand gel?if your hands are visibly dirty, and after using the bathroom.

To help prevent the spread of infection, healthcare workers wash their hands or use an alcohol-based hand cleaner before and after treating each patient.

Tips to Stay Healthy

Avoid Smoking

Quitting smoking is one of the most important things you can do to protect your health. Using tobacco products or smoking causes harm to nearly every organ in your body, and second-hand smoke is harmful to the people you love.

Control Your Weight

Keeping your weight in control will help prevent many health problems. If you are gaining or losing weight without trying to, you should let your doctor know. Your caregivers can help by giving you information on how to control your weight and answer your questions. Just ask!

Get Routine Vaccinations

Just like children, adults need vaccinations too! For those who get sick easily, especially seniors, getting influenza and pneumococcal vaccines regularly will help protect you from certain types of flu and pneumonia. Just ask your healthcare provider whether a vaccination is right for you!

Keep Your Medical Appointments

Your healthcare providers cannot help you if they don’t hear from you or if they do not see you. Stay in touch by keeping your appointments, or rescheduling if you miss them. Your Montefiore caregivers are happy to care for you while you are in the hospital but would rather help you stay out. Be sure to keep your appointments.

Contact

Please call 718-920-6699 if you have questions or concerns about patient safety.

Commitment to Quality Care and Patient Safety (2024)

FAQs

What is commitment to quality of care? ›

The NHS aspires to the highest standards of excellence and professionalism in the provision of high-quality care that is safe, effective and focused on patient experience.

How do you demonstrate commitment to healthcare? ›

Use these five tips to get you started.
  1. 1 Insist on a patient-first philosophy. ...
  2. 2 Choose products that improve the patient experience start to finish. ...
  3. 3 Make sure your healthcare services are convenient and accessible. ...
  4. 4 Use data to make informed decisions about your practice. ...
  5. 5 Be intentional about everything you do.
Apr 16, 2019

How can we improve safety and quality of care? ›

5 Patient-Centered Strategies to Improve Patient Safety
  1. Allow patients access to EHR data, clinician notes. ...
  2. Care for hospital environment. ...
  3. Create a safe patient experience. ...
  4. Create simple and timely appointment scheduling. ...
  5. Encourage family and caregiver engagement.
Mar 14, 2017

What is patient safety and quality in healthcare? ›

Quality has been defined by the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) as “doing the right thing at the right time for the right person and having the best possible result.” Patient safety is simply defined by the World Health Organization as “the prevention of errors and adverse effects to patients ...

What is a good example of commitment? ›

A commitment obligates you to do something. Some commitments are large, like marriage. When you take a job, you're making a commitment to show up and do the job well, and your employer makes a commitment to pay you. There are smaller commitments too.

What is commitment in your own words? ›

: an agreement or pledge to do something in the future. a commitment to improve conditions at the prison. especially : an engagement to assume a financial obligation at a future date. : something pledged. the commitment of troops to the war.

How do you answer a commitment interview question? ›

Example Interview Answer:

I'm looking settle down for the long haul so I'll be sticking around and unless circ*mstances change, I'd like to think your company is the place to do it.” Notice how I'm not just saying “forever” because this is unrealistic.

How will I demonstrate my commitment to safety and quality in my workplace? ›

How to show your commitment
  1. Show interest and enthusiasm about your workers' health, safety and wellbeing.
  2. Lead health and safety activities in the workplace.
  3. Participate in safety training and wear personal protective equipment if required.
  4. Don't take short cuts – always follow your work health and safety procedures.
Sep 11, 2020

How will you show commitment to your work answer? ›

How to show your commitment at work
  • Be punctual. Punctuality shows professionalism and demonstrates your time management skills. ...
  • Volunteer to help. ...
  • Express a desire to advance. ...
  • Show confidence. ...
  • Be a team player. ...
  • Request evaluations. ...
  • Listen to suggestions. ...
  • Show leadership skills.
Jun 29, 2021

Why is quality and patient safety important? ›

It aims to prevent and reduce risks, errors and harm that occur to patients during provision of health care. A cornerstone of the discipline is continuous improvement based on learning from errors and adverse events. Patient safety is fundamental to delivering quality essential health services.

What are examples of patient safety? ›

The Nurse's Role in Patient Safety
  • Identify “wrong site, wrong procedure, wrong patient” errors. High quality hospitals view nurses as the physician's partner in avoiding errors such as these. ...
  • Catch medication mistakes. ...
  • Educate patients about their medications. ...
  • Reduce patient falls. ...
  • Monitor patients for deterioration.
Aug 9, 2018

How do you provide quality care to patients? ›

Best practices for taking better care of patients
  1. Show respect. ...
  2. Express gratitude. ...
  3. Enable access to care. ...
  4. Involve patients' family members and friends. ...
  5. Coordinate patient care with other providers. ...
  6. Provide emotional support. ...
  7. Engage patients in their care plan. ...
  8. Address your patients' physical needs.
Mar 6, 2020

What are the 6 patient safety goals? ›

This is done to make sure that each patient gets the correct medicine and treatment.
  • Identify patients correctly.
  • Prevent infection.
  • Improve staff communication.
  • Identify patient safety risks.
  • Prevent mistakes in surgery.
  • Use medicines safely.
  • Use alarms safely.

What is the quality and patient safety movement? ›

The Patient Safety Movement Foundation believes reaching ZERO preventable patient harm and deaths across the globe by 2030 is not only the right goal, but an attainable one with the right people, ideas, and technology. Patients estimated to die globally each year from medical errors.

What are the key elements of patient safety? ›

Patient Safety Elements: Transparency, Leadership, Policies, Validation & A Just Culture. A high-quality culture starts with a transparent approach to reporting incidents and unsafe conditions that do not punish those doing the reporting.

What are the 5 points of commitment? ›

The 5 Levels of Commitment
  • Level 1: Self-Awareness. First, you become aware of a new idea or a new skill you want to develop. ...
  • Level 2: Willing To Change. This is where most people get stuck. ...
  • Level 3: Intense Focus. ...
  • Level 4: Commitment. ...
  • Level 5: Character.
Jan 7, 2016

How do I express my commitment? ›

Committed Actions

I celebrate traditions that are important to my partner. I keep promises that I make to my partner. I try to make our time together special. I pay more attention to my partner's good qualities instead of things I don't like.

What is an example of commitment response? ›

Commitment Response cont. Good behavioral technique to try and control f uture behavior. – Example: Give a deposit to reserve a room in a hotel. Done to assure that the reservation will be kept.

How do you show commitment in an interview? ›

How To Prove Commitment In A Job Interview
  1. Talk long term plans. Arguably one of the easiest ways to show commitment is by discussing your long term plans. ...
  2. Find the right work environment. The right work environment for you as a candidate will help you excel and maximise your potential. ...
  3. Show your interest.
Jan 30, 2019

What is commitment and why is it important? ›

Committing is an act of self-love and self-respect and one of the most important things you can do for yourself. What is this? When you commit to something, you're saying that you believe in yourself and your ability to follow through. You're also saying that you're worth the effort it'll take to achieve your goal.

What is the purpose of commitment? ›

Simply stated: a commitment is a pledge that obligates you to assume a position or carry out a specific course of action. In my opinion, making a commitment to doing or supporting something, whether in your personal life or your professional life, is one of the most fundamental activities of success.

What is your commitment interview question? ›

Interview Questions to Determine Commitment

What makes you want to leave your current role? What could your current company change about your job, your team or their culture to keep you on their team? Would you take a job with a toxic work culture but a higher salary, or a lower salary with an ideal work culture? Why?

What is your commitment to quality? ›

A commitment to quality is a culture issue for both product and service businesses. Leaders must set high standards for quality and constantly work to maintain the standards so that employees and customers know that it is part of the culture and important at every level of the organization.

What is a good safety commitment statement? ›

I am dedicated to maintaining a safe work environment and will demonstrate my commitment to safety through these actions: I am responsible for my safety and the safety of others. I am committed to an incident and injury-free workplace. I acknowledge that people are fallible, and even the best make mistakes.

How do you provide safety in the workplace answer? ›

10 Easy Workplace Safety Tips
  1. Train employees well. ...
  2. Reward employees for safe behavior. ...
  3. Partner with occupational clinicians. ...
  4. Use labels and signs. ...
  5. Keep things clean. ...
  6. Make sure employees have the right tools and have regular equipment inspections. ...
  7. Encourage stretch breaks. ...
  8. Implement safety protocols from the start.
Oct 22, 2018

How do you apply commitment in everything you do? ›

Here are some other simple tips to help you stay committed to your goals:
  1. Make it all about you. ...
  2. See beyond the goal. ...
  3. Track your measurable progress. ...
  4. Set short-term goals. ...
  5. Celebrate every win. ...
  6. Look at the lasting impact. ...
  7. Get more accountability. ...
  8. Plan wisely.
Jul 21, 2021

How will you show your commitment to excellence? ›

When you are committed to excellence:
  • You pay attention to detail.
  • You are consistent.
  • You are focused on the customer's happiness.
  • You think like your customer and deliver what they want.
May 19, 2016

What is the most important aspect of quality patient care? ›

Patient-centeredness - High-quality care is respectful of and responsive to individual patient preferences, needs, and values and ensures that patient values guide all clinical decisions. Timeliness - High-quality care minimizes wait times and harmful delays for both those who receive and those who provide care.

What is the most important quality of a safety professional and why? ›

Observant. First, being observant is a critical part of being a safety professional. Those who are observant catch hazards before an incident or injury occurs. Seeing what everyone else misses is key to getting ahead of safety hazards.

What are the 3 main points of safety? ›

When it comes to safety the person who is at risk for injury must be aware of the hazard and what can be done to control the hazard and prevent injury. This is one of the three E's of safety: Evaluation, Education, and Enforcement.

How do nurses maintain patient safety? ›

Educating patients on their post-discharge care is a simple, yet effective, example of how nurses can improve patient safety. By working with patients to ensure they have a thorough understanding of their medical condition and self-care routine before they are discharged, nurses help facilitate a smooth recovery.

What are the 5 key elements of safety? ›

However, for you to gain the knowledge of these elements, it will likely require extra effort in understanding the 5 E's of safety - education, encouragement, engineering, enforcement, and evaluation. Education is a significant part of your strategy that will ensure you promote a safe environment and workplace.

What is an example of quality care? ›

Having a doctor who actively listens and gives them more time. Having a doctor who is caring and has empathy. Having a doctor who gives clear instructions.

What are the 4 types of quality control in healthcare? ›

The four types of quality control are process control, control charts, acceptance sampling, and product quality control.

What are safety goals examples? ›

Other possible safety goals may include:
  • Active participation in safety committees.
  • Complete job safety analysis in each department before every major task.
  • Perform weekly inspections.
  • Create a plan to eliminate a particular hazard to the lowest level.
  • Develop a written system to document and investigate accidents.
Jan 9, 2017

Is there a best measure of patient safety? ›

Despite consensus that preventing patient safety events is important, measurement of safety events remains challenging. This is, in part, because they occur relatively infrequently and are not always preventable. There is also no consensus on the 'best way' or the 'best measure' of patient safety.

What is a patient safety plan? ›

MISSION, VISION AND VALUES The Patient Safety Program is designed to enhance patient care delivery and prevent adverse outcomes of care by utilizing a systematic, coordinated and continuous approach to the improvement of patient safety.

What are examples of quality improvement in healthcare? ›

What are Examples of Quality Improvement Initiatives in Healthcare?
  • Reduction in medication-related adverse events.
  • Optimization of sepsis care.
  • Decreased number of urinary catheter infections.
  • Reduced hospital readmissions.
  • Decreased medication administration errors.
  • Improved electronic medical record documentation.
Jan 28, 2022

What are the 2 factors that have an impact on patient safety? ›

In this study, interviewees stated that other factors that have an impact on patient safety in hospitals are medical equipment and the hospital environment. In fact, providing a safe environment should be central to a hospital's goals and priorities (28).

What is the first step in ensuring patient safety? ›

the first step to ensure patient safety is the careful observation of patient behavior.

What is safe and effective care? ›

Effective – providing evidence-based healthcare services to those who need them; Safe – avoiding harm to people for whom the care is intended; and. People-centred – providing care that responds to individual preferences, needs and values.

What is commitment to quality improvement? ›

Identify target areas for improvement; Determine what processes can be modified to improve outcomes; Develop and execute effective strategies to improve quality; Track performance and outcomes; and. Disseminate results to spur broad quality improvement.

What are the qualities of commitment? ›

Committed people have priorities and they stick to those priorities. They develop a routine that allows them to slowly and steadily work toward their goals. They are loyal to their families, their friends, their team, their sport and themselves because they are determined to succeed.

Why is commitment an important quality? ›

Commitment Leads to Success Because It Helps You Focus

Commitment makes you single-minded, so you can devote your full attention and resources to achieving your goals. You won't be easily distracted by other things because they aren't as important or relevant as what you want to achieve or push through.

What does commitment mean in the NHS? ›

It means we have the personal strength and vision to innovate and to embrace new ways of working. A commitment to our patients and populations is a cornerstone of what we do. We need to build on our commitment to improve the care and experience of our patients.

What are some examples of quality improvement in healthcare? ›

What are Examples of Quality Improvement Initiatives in Healthcare?
  • Reduction in medication-related adverse events.
  • Optimization of sepsis care.
  • Decreased number of urinary catheter infections.
  • Reduced hospital readmissions.
  • Decreased medication administration errors.
  • Improved electronic medical record documentation.
Jan 28, 2022

What are the 5 ways to keep your commitments? ›

5 Ways to Commit and Make it Stick
  1. Show, don't tell. Life works very much the same way. ...
  2. Make conscious commitments and have a plan to back them up. ...
  3. Team up. ...
  4. Let your actions do the talking. ...
  5. Balance expectations. ...
  6. Regularly evaluate your commitments.
May 31, 2016

What does Committed to quality mean? ›

A commitment to ensure compliance with all current regulatory requirements – accomplished by monitoring changes to regulatory requirements that might impact the various aspects of our business.

What are the three types of commitment? ›

The three components are:
  • Affection for your job ("affective commitment").
  • Fear of loss ("continuance commitment").
  • Sense of obligation to stay ("normative commitment").

Why is it important to be commitment at work? ›

Importance of work commitment

One of the most important reasons is it allows an organization to meet its goals and stick to its vision. Without a motivated workforce, an organization could lose all that they have earned over the years, be it respect or their market position.

What does professional commitment mean to you give an example? ›

Professional commitment is defined as loyalty, the desire to stay in a profession, and a sense of responsibility toward the profession's particular problems and challenges.

How do you deliver high quality patient care? ›

Patient-centered: Provide care that is respectful of and responsive to individual patient preferences, needs, and values and ensure that patient values guide all clinical decisions. Timely: Reduce waits and sometimes harmful delays for both those who receive and give care.

How can you show commitment to the nursing profession? ›

6 Ways to Demonstrate Professionalism in Nursing
  1. Put patients first. It's important not only to uphold patients' rights—but also to care about how patients feel. ...
  2. Communicate effectively. ...
  3. Collaborate with and mentor others. ...
  4. Maintain a positive attitude. ...
  5. Uphold the standard of care. ...
  6. Be accountable and honest.
Jun 16, 2020

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