North Carolina’s leading hospitals prioritize collaboration, innovation, and patient-centered care. They are setting new standards for healthcare excellence and contributing to the well-being of communities statewide.
FirstHealth of the Carolinas is a comprehensive private, not-for-profit health system serving 15 counties in the central region. It provides hospitals, home care services, primary and specialty clinics, insurance companies, and health and fitness facilities.
1. Patient Experience
The patient experience is a crucial component to healthcare delivery. It not only influences patients’ perception of their care, but it also impacts hospital financial performance through value-based purchasing (1).
In a recent survey of hospitalists, the majority of respondents reported that improving patient experience was a priority. However, little is known about hospitalist involvement in patient experience initiatives at their groups and institutions, or the effectiveness of those efforts (2).
To better understand these issues, the authors asked hospitalists to complete an online questionnaire, which included 3 open-ended questions that assessed their perspective on (a) what patient experience meant to them personally and their group; (b) what barriers they perceived to implementing patient experience initiatives at their hospitals/groups; and (c) what resources were thought to be most helpful in improving patient experience. Results showed a correlation between respondents? personal priority of patient experience and the perceived effectiveness of etiquette-based communication training, communications tools/training, leader rounding on patients, and individualized HCAHPS feedback/data (Supplemental Appendix Table 2). All of these were considered to be helpful in increasing the overall patient experience.
2. Safety
The best hospitals focus on patient safety measures, such as using top-of-the-line techniques to reduce infections and protocols for preventing MRSA. They also work to improve the working environment for their staff.
North Carolina has a number of hospitals that earn high marks on national reports cards on hospital safety. The Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit health care watchdog, issues safety grades to nearly 3,000 general hospitals twice each year. 88 North Carolina hospitals received mostly A ratings this fall.
Mobley said that her organization, which is supported by employers and health care purchasers, aims to encourage every hospital to raise its standards. Other rating systems, such as those published by U.S. News and World Report, can have inherent conflicts of interest, she added.
3. Technology
Hospitals that use innovative technology, such as electronic patient records and real-time information sharing, can improve care outcomes. Implementing new technologies demonstrates that hospitals prioritize patients and their safety. Hospitals that train their employees in new skills also demonstrate a commitment to providing advanced treatments and medical solutions.
Those qualities make some North Carolina hospitals stand out from the rest. A recent online presentation by Premier, a healthcare improvement company, included data that showed the 157 not-for-profit hospitals participating in its QUEST initiative saved an estimated 8,043 lives and $577 million in just one year.
These hospitals are advancing healthcare in North Carolina and across the nation. They excel in clinical research, medical education and community health initiatives. Their work uplifts families and communities by prioritizing collaboration, patient-centered approaches and technology integration. They are pillars of excellence that provide state-of-the-art treatments, compassionate care and innovative medical solutions to all.
4. Training
From the bustling urban centers of Charlotte and Raleigh to the tranquil foothills and coastal regions, North Carolina has a rich healthcare landscape with hospitals that specialize in cutting-edge medical innovations, medical research, and community health initiatives. These institutions shape the future of healthcare by prioritizing collaboration, innovation, and patient-centered care.
Throughout the state, hospitals host workshops and conferences for employees to learn new techniques and technologies that can help them improve the quality of service they offer patients. During this time, employees also have an opportunity to network with peers from other hospitals and learn from their experiences as well.
At Premier, a healthcare improvement alliance of more than 3,600 member hospitals, employees are encouraged to collaborate and innovate. One of the ways they do this is through their QUEST initiative, which challenges hospitals to improve outcomes at a lower cost by using data and analytics to identify opportunities for improvement. This includes working with members to co-develop long-term innovations that transform American healthcare and deliver better results for patients nationwide.
5. Ethics
North Carolina’s premier hospitals are pillars of healthcare excellence, offering state-of-the-art treatments and medical research that elevate patient care. They also support local communities through their outreach and community health initiatives. They prioritize collaboration and innovation in order to advance medical science, improve treatment outcomes, and uplift families and individuals statewide.
In October, the 157 hospitals that participated in Premier’s QUEST initiative achieved a remarkable milestone: They saved lives, improved patient experience and safety, and reduced costs for the first year of the program. The achievements were the result of a number of innovative practices and policies that these hospitals put into place to ensure their patients receive the highest quality of care possible.
These hospital systems prioritize employee training to provide the best care for patients. They have policies in place to help employees understand what they are expected to do when faced with ethical dilemmas. They also offer tools that support their employees, like a third-party reporting system. These hospitals understand that when they prioritize ethics, it shows they care about their employees and patients.
