Robert C. Groom, MS, CCP
Objective: Share three practical examples of quality initiatives. The attendees will learn key principles for improving the microsystem from these real-life examples
A quality initiative is a journey. This lecture will trace the steps of three ongoing quality initiatives at the Maine Medical Center listed below;
1. Prevention of Low Hematocrit during Cardiopulmonary Bypass
2. Maintaining Tight Glycemic Control for Cardiac Surgery patients
3. Reducing Homologous Blood transfusions.
Each of these initiatives followed a stepwise cycle of improvement that began with examining the evidence from the literature related to a process or outcome, measurement of our systems performance, development of a change strategy, and continued monitoring and reporting to the team.
“Every system is perfectly designed to achieve exactly the results that it gets.”
- Paul Batalden, MD
Quality initiatives are the exciting work of redesigning our systems to obtain the best possible results for patients. These initiatives bring out the best in teams. They frequently result in improved collaboration, satisfaction, and a higher sense of purpose for the cardiovascular team.
