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Proclamation recognizing and commending Jefferson Regional Medical Center upon being recognized as a national leader in efforts to improve patient safety.
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WHEREAS, Allegheny County is blessed with individuals and organizations dedicated to enhancing the quality of life in our neighborhoods and the community as a whole; and
WHEREAS, located in the South Hills of Pittsburgh, PA, Jefferson Regional Medical Center is an integrated system of health care services and facilities that cares for individuals throughout each stage of life, from emergency admissions to long-term care, from inpatient hospitalization to home care; and
WHEREAS, Jefferson Regional Medical Center has been recognized as a national leader in efforts to improve patient safety, according to a study published by the Commonwealth Fund, a foundation that supports independent research on health and social issues; and
WHEREAS, conducted by the Economic and Social Research Institute in Washington D.C., the study looked at 1999 data from 2,697 hospitals in 18 states to develop an initial list of high-quality hospitals; hospitals were given quality scores based on how their patients fared in 56 disease categories and were also scored on the basis on the length of time patients spent in the hospital - a proxy for cost; and
WHEREAS, Jefferson Regional Medical Center established a standard for nursing hours per patient day that it will not violate, even if that means temporarily closing down nursing units to new patients. Also, Jefferson Regional Medical Center cut $7.5 million from its $130 million base of expenses by trimming from administrative areas, not from patient care areas or staff who serve patients; and
WHEREAS, Jefferson Regional Medical Center has worked tirelessly with the Pittsburgh Regional Healthcare Initiative, a nonprofit organization, on efforts to boost patient safety, including an initiative to reduce the chances of medication errors;
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Allegheny County Council is honored to recognize Jefferson Regional Medical Center upon its being recognized as a national leader and for its commitment to our community and the people it serves as the hospital strives to be the best community hospital in the country. This achievement has conferred honor upon the County to be shared by each of us.