Being a highly reliable organization is about consistently and safely providing quality care to patients each time they visit any of our hospitals, outpatient facilities, wellness centers or physician offices. To achieve this, we conduct extensive research and literature reviews to identify evidence-based best practices. We also bring in the expertise of our administrators, clinical leaders, employees, as well as safety and quality improvement teams across all facilities. Together, we execute the following strategic initiatives:

Patient Safety

To reduce safety risks, we promote a culture of safety and reliability, and emphasize personal accountability. We also coach clinical teams on the importance of safety vigilance and reporting, and train them to consistently:

To identify where adverse events are occurring and their root causes, we examine data and analytics. We then make necessary refinements or introduce new methods that are proven to be more effective at preventing harm.

Care Design

Reliable Care Blueprinting™ is a care design process involving both physicians and staff. They discuss challenges, collaborate on best practices and then create a standard approach to delivering evidenced-based care for various procedures. We apply the process broadly – from how we take a patient’s vitals to treating sepsis to processing lab specimens. To drive ongoing improvements, we review industry benchmarks, share lessons learned and set aggressive performance goals.

Patient Engagement

We actively listen, observe and communicate with patients and their families to provide better care experiences and health outcomes. Through our intake and discharge process and regular rounding, our care teams engage patients to drive alignment and understanding of their treatment plans. This also helps us identify individuals at risk for poor self-management and readmission based on their health history.

Care Management

According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, “strengthening nursing leadership at the point at which care is delivered” reduces readmissions, improves patient satisfaction and safety, drives compliance with core measures and saves money. Texas Health’s team of clinical nurse leaders (CNLs) manages the clinical care given to groups of 12 to 16 patients.

With master’s degrees in nursing, CNLs work with unit managers, physicians, care transition team members and bedside nurses at all wholly owned hospitals to improve care delivery. They do this by providing continuity of care, rounding with physicians at the patient’s bedside and analyzing clinical data to provide optimum acute care coordination. Additionally, they mentor, bring evidence-based practices to the bedside, assist patients with health-decision planning and collaborate with the care transition team to provide patient support upon discharge. This helps to align the entire care team on care plans, a safe discharge and follow-up requirements.

Care Transition

We design care transition plans based on patients’ unique needs, their support systems and network of providers. Prior to discharge, we share patients’ health histories and care plans with other providers to coordinate follow-up care and monitoring. Effectively managing patients’ transitions from hospital to home helps us improve health outcomes, and reduce their length of stay and likelihood of readmission.

Care Navigation

Our patient navigators help people newly diagnosed with a severe or chronic health issue, or who face a long recovery from an injury or illness, from getting overwhelmed. They help patients find and receive health services, coordinate appointments, send medical records, arrange for translators, assist with paperwork and more. After discharge, they also follow-up with patients to confirm they are receiving the care and attention they need.

Infection Prevention

The team of infection preventionists, medical staff physicians, and staff help protect patients, employees and other caregivers from health care-associated infections. From handwashing, requiring masks, gloves or gowns, and ensuring sanitary equipment and tools, they put infection-prevention processes in place and monitor enforcement.

Recognized for Quality Care and Nursing Excellence

Texas Health earned praise from a variety of organizations for our commitment to safe, quality care in 2018. These included:

How Texas Health is Responding

Texas Health Behavioral Health provides access to behavioral health services in five inpatient, one residential treatment center and 16 outpatient settings across the Dallas-Fort Worth area. We offer behavioral health services for people affected by substance use disorders and mental illness. As a part of our free screening and referral services, we provide referrals inside our system or to external providers based on clinical need. Our assessment team also connects individuals with community providers that provide services using block grants and state funds.

As a member of the North Texas Community Health Collaborative, which represents 10 area hospital systems, behavioral health authorities and community-based organizations that want to improve behavioral health, we also pursue grants and jointly implement programs that address behavioral health issues.

2018 Performance

Texas Health opened units specializing in the care of women and adolescents affected by substance use disorders during the year. We also invested $11 million in improving safety and the environment of care of our inpatient units to reduce suicide risk.

In 2019, we plan to expand services for those struggling with substance use, including delivering outpatient care for individuals managing opioid use disorders. We also will assess expanding outpatient psychiatric services to see that individuals have access to the entire continuum of care for behavioral health needs. A large portion of grants awarded through Texas Health Community Impact also will help address behavioral health issues.

Services and Support

Texas Health helps those with Type 1, Type 2 or gestational diabetes manage it with education, medication and support. After assessing the extent of support each person needs, we customize management programs to address them. Some patients qualify for 10 hours of in-person diabetes education and coaching while others may benefit from nutrition therapy. We provide care both in our hospitals as well as in 10 ADA-certified outpatient centers. Our diabetes educators, registered nurses and registered dietitians help participants develop diabetes self-management skills to live a healthier life. Each year, we meet with former patients, community leaders and other stakeholders to discuss program goals and services so that we can continually improve.

THRE has three standalone facilities equipped with exam rooms, labs, pharmacies, monitoring space and research teams. Research coordinators, nurses, data analysts and statisticians support research trials and innovations, along with developing and executing grants, contracts and budgets. While companies and universities fund their own research projects and any system personnel who may assist, Texas Health underwrites studies that support hospital initiatives conducted by its own physician investigators and clinical teams. An independent Institutional Review Board reviews and approves proposed studies to validate they are appropriate, scientifically sound, and comply with ethical and legal guidelines.