Florida Governor issues Proclamation recognizing outstanding work of Healthcare Quality Professionals

Governor Crist Signs Proclamation

Florida Governor Charlie Crist issued a Proclamation recognizing the outstanding work Healthcare Quality Professionals do for the people of Florida. This proclamation mirrors the sentiments of National Healthcare Quality Week, October 17-23rd, which celebrates the work of Healthcare Quality Professionals in improving patient outcomes and healthcare delivery systems.  Healthcare Quality Professionals are driven by the desire to make a positive difference in the lives of their patients, organizations and communities. They lead improvement changes not only through content expertise, but through role modeling, educating, coaching and empowering others.  

Quality Professionals in healthcare organizations carry the mantle of change in the challenge to provide quality healthcare for all by putting laws, regulations, evidence-based medicine, patient safety information and best practices into functional and meaningful practices, and then assessing the outcomes to ensure change has been made for the better.  It is this final step – ensuring change has been made for the better – where healthcare quality professionals serve as the guardians of the best interests of the patient.  

While the nation awaits more information on the impact of healthcare reform legislation, Florida is leading the way in establishing best practices in healthcare. Some of the healthcare quality initiatives currently underway in Florida include:  

• Florida Hospital for Children launched a comprehensive, first-of-its-kind health initiative called Healthy 100 Kids, designed to help kids stay active and provide parents with valuable information, tools and resources about healthy living to reduce the prevalence of childhood obesity.
• Mayo Clinic has recently opened a Center for Social Media in healthcare to foster improved patient-centered communications and care via use of current and developing virtual tools.
• The Florida Hospital Association is spearheading three unique and innovative state-wide initiatives to improve healthcare quality for all the people of Florida.  These initiatives are focusing on reducing surgical complications (in tandem with the Florida Chapter of the American College of Surgeons), reducing central line infections and reducing hospital readmissions.
• Three Florida healthcare groups have joined forces to create From Heart Failure to Heart Success, a project to provide those caring for heart failure patients with information to improve care and outcome.  – American Heart Association – Greater Southeast Affiliate, FMQAI – Florida's Medicare Quality Improvement Organization, and Pepin Heart Hospital – University Community Health Systems
• UnitedHealth Group and the YMCA are offering a fitness, counseling and education program to prevent diabetes among pre-diabetics.  The program has been shown to reduce chances of developing type-2 diabetes by nearly 60%.
• Citrus Memorial Health System promotes good health in the community through its SHARE Club, which promotes socialization while offering free screening programs and healthcare education.
• Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida offers mobile health information to the public (not just policy holders).  Their mobile service provides information about health, helps locate a physician, compares drug costs, and provides health alerts.  
• Excellence in intensive care:  Six Florida Hospitals have received the Beacon Award for Critical Care Excellence:  Florida Hospital Celebration Health, Miami Children's Hospital, Tampa General, Bayfront Medical Center, Morton Plant Hospital and Shands at the University of Florida, Gainesville. This award goes to the top 1% of ICUs nation-wide based on patient outcome data on a wide variety of quality indicators.
• Three healthcare organizations have recently been recognized for achievement of the highest standards in quality.  This year's Governor's Sterling Award for Excellence winners were, for the first time, all healthcare organizations!   Congratulations to Florida Hospital, James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital and Clinics and South Miami Hospital for this incredible achievement.

These are just a few of the many examples of what healthcare professionals are doing to improve healthcare and quality of life for the people of Florida.  Donna Scott, President of the Florida Association for Healthcare Quality (FAHQ), commented: "FAHQ applauds these quality leaders who work tirelessly to improve healthcare for all the people of Florida."