This content is sponsored by Adventist HealthCare Fort Washington Medical Center.
For the second year in a row, Adventist HealthCare Fort Washington Medical Center is the only hospital in Prince George’s County to earn an ‘A’ Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, the only rating system focused exclusively on hospital safety.
“In order for a hospital to receive high scores, they have to show sustained results over time,” said Daffodil Baez, president of Adventist HealthCare Fort Washington Medical Center. “It means things like positive patient experiences, excellent clinical outcomes and low or non-existent infection rates.”
The Leapfrog Group is a nonprofit watchdog organization that serves as a voice for health care consumers and purchasers by evaluating hospitals based on how well they prevent medical errors, infections and other harm.
Fort Washington Medical Center has undergone a remarkable transformation as it works to reduce health care disparities in southern Prince George’s County.
An environment built on safety
Each morning, leaders report on events from the previous day, flagging any safety concerns and discussing how to address them.
Employees ensure policy compliance by using checklists, reports and other tools.
“One of the key components here is that we have to have very strong leadership support and commitment to patient safety,” said Fiona McMahon, the hospital’s director of Quality and Safety Services. “We want to make sure that we have a lot of good foundational processes that support safety.”
To help maintain a culture of transparency and accountability with data reports, hospital leaders established a patient safety committee which convenes regularly to solicit feedback and recommendations for performance improvement projects.
When a problem is identified, staff members use data analysis to find the root cause and implement measures to address it.
“We conduct a Culture of Safety Survey annually,” McMahon said. “We analyze the results, develop action plans to address areas of opportunity and then resurvey mid-year to assess the effectiveness of the action plan implementation.”
One successful nursing initiative at Fort Washington Medical Center was the implementation of bedside shift reports, which involve nursing handoffs at the patient’s bedside.
“It enhances communication with the patient and engages them in their care,” said Batavia Gillis, the hospital’s director of Professional Development, Clinical Practice and Patient Experience, who serves as interim nursing director. “It makes patients feel more involved, and nurses feel more confident walking into that room as they are completely informed about treatment plans.”
Team leaders take turns auditing and validating that bedside practices are being followed correctly.
It’s all part of the broader effort to improve safety and strengthen the hospital’s culture by keeping staff engaged, focused and consistent.
“Regardless of who comes through our door, how they come through our door or how many come through our door, we can’t miss a beat,” Gillis said. “That’s what we strive to do, and we try to reinforce that with the team every day, every minute and every shift.”
Reassurance for the community
Fort Washington Medical Center has made innovative changes in its emergency department, including the introduction of a vertical care unit (VCU) designed to streamline patient flow and reduce wait times.
Unlike traditional models focused solely on bedside treatment, the VCU allows medical care to be delivered to patients with less severe conditions who can remain upright in chairs.
Before the VCU was introduced, the hospital faced significantly longer wait times.
The improvement came through leadership and collaboration across departments.
“Leadership is what builds the culture,” said Dr. Monique McCray, medical director of the Emergency Department. “If the leaders are not modeling the culture, emphasizing it and making sure that certain metrics and standards are maintained, then the culture falls apart.”
Hospital leaders meet regularly to discuss emerging health issues in the community.
For example, if there’s a spike in flu cases or certain infections, the hospital adjusts its approach to care based on that data to better meet the community’s needs.
It is a source of reassurance in southern Prince George’s County.
“We are the only emergency department for the Fort Washington community, and most of our patients have to drive about 40 minutes to get to the next hospital,” McCray explained. “The fact that we provide excellent care means everything to this community.”
Baez shared that this recognition speaks volumes to the “hard work, talent and continued dedication” of the entire Fort Washington Medical Center team, because all roles, clinical and non-clinical, contribute to patient care.
“When we say that we will be a trusted choice for exceptional care in the community we serve, we mean it,” said Baez. “We will continue to focus our efforts on delivering high quality care and fully anticipate future survey results to reflect that.”
