SAN DIEGO–VA San Diego Healthcare System (VASDHS) has been awarded the 2016 NDNQI Award for outstanding nursing quality by Press Ganey. The award recognizes the top-performing academic medical center that has achieved excellence in overall performance in nursing quality indicators.
The NDNQI Award for Outstanding Nursing Quality honors hospitals that have made impressive and measurable improvements in nursing performance and patient outcomes. The award is given annually to the top performing organization across 17 quality measures in each of seven categories: academic medical center, teaching hospital, community hospital, pediatric hospital, rehabilitation hospital, psychiatric hospital and international. The highest-ranking hospital in each category receives the award.
More than three years ago, VASDHS implemented Relationship Based Care as a professional practice model for care delivery, and employee empowerment. Their nurses and multidisciplinary team members are highly engaged and have a voice as part of Shared Governance, where they provide their ideas and solutions for ways to provide the best care to veterans.
“We are proud to partner with VA San Diego Healthcare System,” said Patrick T. Ryan, CEO of Press Ganey. “Achieving and sustaining excellence in nursing-sensitive quality measures reflects VA San Diego Healthcare System’s deep commitment to delivering high quality compassionate and patient-centered care in San Diego.”
According to VASDHS Director Dr. Robert M. Smith, the award represents an important recognition from the industry’s leader in measuring, understanding and improving the patient experience. “This award reflects our nurses’ commitment to the highest professional standards and dedication to serving America’s Veterans and we are very grateful for this recognition of their excellence,” Smith said.
VASDHS provides comprehensive health care to approximately 83,000 Veterans. Their facilities include the medical center in La Jolla and seven clinics throughout San Diego and Imperial counties. They provide medical, surgical, mental health, spinal cord injury and advanced rehabilitation services. In addition, they have a large homeless Veteran outreach program and the Aspire Center (residential treatment center for Veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan). VASDHS provides professional training to more than 2,400 medical students, resident, as well as nursing students and other health care professionals. They also have one of the largest research programs in the VA with ~ 700 research active research projects and annual expenditures of ~$41 million.
Press Ganey is a leading provider of patient experience measurement, performance analytics and strategic advisory solutions for health care organizations across the continuum of care. With over 30 years of experience, Press Ganey is recognized as a pioneer and thought leader in patient experience measurement and performance improvement solutions.
