| OCR Text |
Show THE DAILY UTAH CHRONICLE TUESDAY, JANUARY 8, 2002 Ho spital Passes Accreditation Gives U Rating Higher Than The National Average .... I . The parking's ALEX LEE Chronicle News Writer University Hospital has just received its report card, and Executive Director Rick Fullmer is beaming with pride. The hospital earned a 91, the best preliminary score it has ever received, beating the national average of 88 and its previous score, which was also 88. The improvement may seem incremental, Fullmer explained, but it is commendable under the current v r 1 scarce. cir- cumstances. "The joint commission has significantly strengthened its standards over the last couple of years," Fullmer said. "It's much more rigorous today. A score in the 90s is highly unusual." The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organization (JCAHO) is an independent, organization that evaluates 18,000 hospitals and clinics nationwide. These healthcare organizations fit Don't you be. seek accreditation from JCAHO partly for public assurance and partly because the certification is required for Medicare reimbursement. University Hospital pays JCAHO $50,000 for the service every three years. According to Fullmer, the toughened accreditation process was motivated by a recent Institute of Medicine report that estimated more than 90,000 deaths result from medical errors. Four surveyors one former hospital administrator, one physician and two senior nurses inspect the hospital for five days, compared to three surveyors for three days in the past "They turn everything over," Fullmer said. The surveyors put pennies under the doors to test compliance to the fire code, which requires a specific clearance between the door and the floor. Finding a bar of soap instead of a soap dispenser in the psychiatric unit, the inspectors "scolded" hospital adminis- - fUololMWts) cmwifiii Troy Somcrville holds a planner he helped develop. The planner helps patients of track their medicine; it won praise from the accreditation committee. keep trators because the practice makes transmission of infections more likely, Fullmer said. In addition to the score, the commission gives each hospital a preliminary report containing a set of recommendations for improvements. The hospital received four type-- i recommendations, down from six in its previous report in '88. Type-- 1 recommendations must be resolved within a specified period before the hospital mm mm prepares the final report this month. The report also praises the hospital by listing its "best practices." JCAHO stores these reports in its library, so other hospitals trying to implement the same procedure can use them as This semester, staying away is a tempting thought. After models. "The commission was very complimentary," Fullmer said. "There's a write-u- p on our best practices." Because the report is still preliminary and cannot be released to the Democrats. Still, this will be a semester to remember, and full-pa- receives its accreditation. The hospital is appealing two of them while JCAHO loir i! ifiicwa virlirfifr mm mwmmmiv all, who wants Michelle Kwan away from the Krispy Kreme donuts in the Union? And parking spaces will be as scarce as Utah ge see HOSPITAL, page 4 we want you to be a part of it. Solve parking scarcity by hopping on the brand spanking new TRAX line or a UTA bus. Ride both for FREE with your which moonlights as a rd, Mi to dodge wayward bobsleds or elbow UTA transit pass. You'll save your money and your sanity. And you'll stay on your graduation track. Looking for a nm i'Ptf ! Slrl I 1 Mil Ifty il feature writer! i interested contact Wynni "The Refrigerator Parry at jwparrychronicle.utah.edu If Daily Utah Chronicle 240 union or 581-704- 1 Thanks for being here and for your patience. This semester will be a mixture of excitement and exasperation, but it's sure to be one you won't want to miss. For campus information about the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, visit www.utah.edu2002. m.im J V ILvtta site, www.rideuta.com. I OF s S recently joined a winning organization (which is new to the Utah area) and would like you to be on my team. I cordially invite you to jom me and my staff on Wednesday, January 9 at 7 P.M. at the Delta Center. I wil be presenting a business opportunity that would I like you to be involved m along with myself and other top athletes including Bryor Russell and Scott Padgett. I 5 1 - look forward to seeing you there. Autographs and memorabilia wili Space is limited so please call (801) 5 to reserve your seat or (801) 272-209- 272-218- ?Mafone Group be given away. nn llJ UNIVERSITY MUjf 4 r"1 ' .', ii transit information, visit the parking Web site, www.parking.utah.edu or the THE C'4ai For UTAH U i A UTA U Web 3 |
