In their words
Patients speak up
about safety and quality
at Simi Valley Hospital
“
I would like to thank Shirley.
She was my nurse during my
visit. She was really attentive
and caring regarding my
condition and symptoms. She
listened as I explained my
concerns to her. She checked
up on me frequently to make
sure my pain was under control
and maintained. Overall, on a
scale of 1 to 10, I would give
her a 10!
”
“
I was a patient when a
rapid response was called on
the Med/Surg South unit. I
was in absolute awe at how
quickly and professionally the
situation was taken care of.
Afterwards, I felt so grateful
to be in the care of such
wonderful individuals.
”
“
You were absolutely
wonderful. The care I received
was the best I’ve ever had. My
every need was addressed
promptly and thoroughly.
Everyone was positive and
encouraging while maintaining
the treatment necessary and
sometimes inconvenient. I
thank you from the bottom of
my heart. God bless you all.
”
“
Robert was one of my ER
nurses on the evening of
February 26. He was the one
who started the IV line and
drew the initial blood samples.
Outstanding job! It is so
nice not to have to be stuck
multiple times and not to have
it hurt. Great patient concern
and interaction.
”
w
5
A culture of safety and quality
A focus on safety and quality is at
the center of every interaction every
caregiver at Simi Valley Hospital has
with every patient, every time. The
hospital fosters a culture of safety and
quality in many ways, including the
implementation of best practices—the
safest and most e ective patient care
approaches and techniques.
Simi Valley Hospital participates
in a best-practices initiative by the
federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services (CMS). The initiative sets forth
“core measures”—speci c actions that
have been proven to ensure the best
possible outcome for patients.
For instance, one core measure
recommends that patients who arrive at
the hospital’s Emergency Department
with heart attack symptoms receive
an aspirin within a certain time
frame. These actions are called
“measures” because participating
hospitals are required to document
their action to keep track of how well
they are conforming to the various
best practices.
Simi Valley Hospital participates in a
number of CMS core measures aimed
at helping patients with diagnoses that
include heart attack, heart failure and
community-acquired pneumonia, as
well as a program called the Surgical
Care Improvement Project.
Other core measures help to decrease
the risk of venous thromboembolism
(blood clot) among hospitalized
patients, reduce the damage done by
strokes and help stroke patients recover
more successfully after they leave
the hospital.
Among the other safety initiatives
at the hospital is medication
reconciliation—a review of each
medication patients are taking to ensure
that it is the right medication in the right
dosage and that it is still appropriate
for the patient, given his or her current
health status. This reconciliation is
completed every time patients make a
transition at Simi Valley Hospital, such as
when they move from intensive care to
a regular hospital bed or when they are
discharged from the hospital.
The city of Simi Valley issued a commendation to Simi Valley Hospital as a result of
the March 2014 article in which
Consumer Reports
ranked the hospital as the safest
in Ventura County. Simi Valley Hospital President and CEO Kim Milstien (at left) and
governing board member Leigh Nixon accepted the award from Simi Valley Mayor Bob
Huber during the city council meeting on May 5.
