Honor highlights exceptional health care initiatives by rural hospitals
On June 25, 2024, the Washington State Hospital Association presented its annual Rural Quality Everyday Extraordinary Award to Lake Chelan Health. The honor recognizes Lake Chelan Health’s Aggregate Quality Score: a comprehensive evaluation of care and business operations developed by the hospital.
The Aggregate Quality Score gauges organization-wide quality by weighing contract management, externally reported performance measures, patient satisfaction, policy adherence and the ability to maintain high-quality standards. The score also provided important insights into staff challenges while boosting staff engagement.
“This program is a bold endeavor and testament to Lake Chelan Health’s commitment to excellence,” WSHA Senior Vice President of Safety and Quality Darcy Jaffe said. “The Aggregate Quality Score sets a new standard for measuring and enhancing care while offering an approach that can benefit rural hospitals and communities across our state.”
Judges for the award recommended other rural hospitals consider adopting a similar methodology.
The award-winning project was among seven nominations from across the state, including Kittitas Valley Health for its 4th Trimester Resource Center, EvergreenHealth Monroe for reducing blood culture contamination, Providence Mount Carmel for reducing catheter utilization, Ocean Beach Hospital for its fall prevention program, and WhidbeyHealth for reducing surgical site infections.
Nominees submitted quality improvement projects rated across five metrics: significance, data-driven approach, culture of safety, results and scalability. The award presentation was part of the WSHA’s 2024 Rural Hospital Leadership Conference at Campbell’s Resort in Chelan, Wash.
