Quality, safety, and patient experience

Delivering high-quality care and ensuring the safety of our patients, employees and providers is integral to our mission at Spectrum Health: to improve the health of the communities we serve. Care should be timely, appropriate for each patient and evidence based. It should also be patient-centered, safe and easy to access. Our patients are central to all of our work and the inspiration for improving the care we provide every day.

Quality is measured in many different ways, including through external regulatory agencies and rating companies. Agencies and companies, such as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality (AHRQ) and Leapfrog, measure our performance and share results with the public to help patients decide where to get the best care. For example, in order to make it easier for patients, CMS created a centralized website to help patients and families do side-by-side comparisons.

Another type of quality measurement is performed by accrediting agencies, such as The Joint Commission (TJC). TJC has a series of standards that hospitals must follow in order to earn accredited status. TJC also maintains an open website where patients can review and compare facilities.