The professionals of the BJC HealthCare affiliated hospitals are committed to providing safe, quality health care to our patients every day. That’s why each hospital has adopted certain standards of clinical excellence and put programs in place to consistently deliver exceptional care.  Each hospital has pledged to continually improve the quality of the services they offer our patients. This means offering both proven techniques and the treatments most likely to improve our patients’ health. It also means understanding what’s important to our patients and their families, and striving to exceed their expectations.

All hospitals in the system have set high standards of clinical excellence. These measures include minimizing the risk of hospital infections, developing processes to ensure safer surgery and establishing systems for tracking medication accuracy. 

For example, many hospitals use DoseChecker and PharmADE, two “pharmacy expert systems” developed by the Barnes-Jewish Hospital Pharmacy Department and medical informatics researchers at Washington University in St. Louis. 

These computer-based tools automatically review prescription orders, compare them to patient-specific information in the hospital’s database and identify potentially harmful drug interactions or dosages outside the normal range. This “safety net” alerts pharmacists to potential medication issues, which then are discussed with the patient’s physician. DoseChecker and PharmADE received a National Hospital Pharmacy Quality Award and have been recognized by the Smithsonian Institution. 

 
In addition to constantly reviewing clinical processes and putting systems in place to enhance safety, BJC HealthCare hospitals also have adopted certain “evidence-based medicine” standards to ensure patients receive the highest quality care. 

Through science and experience, physicians, researchers and other medical professionals have built the foundation of modern medicine. Based on clinical trials, we know what kinds of medications and interventions most often lead to the highest quality outcomes for many patients. These standards are known as “evidence-based medicine.” 

For example, giving antibiotics to appropriate patients in the correct time frame before surgery lowers the likelihood of post-operative infections of the surgical site. Patients with heart attack symptoms should receive certain medications quickly to reduce the risk of damage to the heart muscle. Patients with asthma should receive certain medicines to assist their breathing. BJC HealthCare tracks and monitors the use of these evidence-based therapies as a measure of health-care quality. 

Of course, physicians always take into account a patient’s individual circumstances before deciding on any course of action. But, BJC HealthCare hospitals have pledged to offer patients the medical treatments that have been proven time and time again. 

The caregivers of the hospitals within BJC HealthCare know that the way you are treated in our hospitals is often as important as the type of care you receive. That’s why BJC HealthCare hospitals have established service excellence measures that directly impact patient satisfaction. 

For example, we know that when your doctor orders a diagnostic test, you’re anxious to know the results. Many of our hospitals have set goals to reduce the number of days it takes to get in for testing and the time it takes to get the results. We also pledge to see you as soon as possible when you come to the emergency room and commit to explain clearly any diagnosis or treatment so you can make informed choices. 

The BJC Center for Health-Care Quality and Effectiveness monitors these patient safety and health-care quality efforts, and shares information among BJC hospitals so that everyone can learn from successes throughout the organization. This coordinated approach has been recognized by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). BJC HealthCare and Washington University School of Medicine were selected by AHRQ to conduct fundamental patient safety research. Once complete, these findings will be shared nationally. 

In addition to all that the doctors, nurses and other health professionals do to ensure that your experience in the hospital is a positive one, there are many things you can do as well, to be an active participant in your care. BJC HealthCare is committed to educating patients and the public about the steps they can take to promote excellent medical care and health literacy. We believe a partnership is the best way to deliver on our promise of quality and safety.

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