Overview • Press Releases •
Speaker Requests • Publications

CenterViews
January 2, 2006

In This Issue:
Congratulations Graduates
Family Thanks 2 D Staff
Dr. Pedro Ruiz Receives Recognition
BSN and MHA/MBA Program Offered at Medical Center Location
Parking Rates On The Rise
Performance Improvement Corner
Leadership Priorities
Patient Satisfaction

Congratulations Graduates
Congratulations to Senior Hospital Aides Allen Webb, Carlton Lockwood, Cassie James, Charles Powell, DeWayne Tennison, Gregory McAfee, Jimmy Thomas, Renita Hill-Tillman, Robert Nearing, Roy Hans, Theodore McKenzie, Wayne Williams, and William Edwards, who recently completed the Accelerated Language Program, Spanish For Healthcare Providers, Levels I – IV. The course was conducted through the University of Houston.

Best wishes to Maria Mack RN Unit 2C, and Linda Green RN, the Nurse Manager for the Adolescent who recently received their Master’s in Nursing degrees.

Family Thanks 2 D Staff
A family member wrote to compliment the 2 D staff, especially thanking Dr.Gruber, Renee Fleming and Has Patel for their help and care of their loved one.

Dr. Pedro Ruiz Receives Recognition
Dr. Pedro Ruiz was appointed to the Editorial Boards of "Evidence-Based Mental Health" (Spain) and the "Indian Journal of Psychiatry" (India). Dr. Ruiz also delivered the Fourth Graeme Smith Lecture at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, on December 1, 2005.

BS and MHA/MBA Program Offered at Medical Center Location
The University of Houston Clear Lake will now offer courses in the Texas Medical Center. Program offerings include classes towards a Bachelor of Science in Health Care Administration and a Master of Health Administration/Master of Business Administration degree. Classes begin January 17, 2006. For information about class offerings, click here: http://www.uhcl.edu/bus/hadm or call 281-283-3110.

Parking Rates On The Rise
Effective January 1, 2006, Texas Medical Center contract parking rates will increase by 3%. The current monthly rate for HCPC staff is $65.00 per month. The new monthly rate will be $67.00. Those with questions should contact the Texas Medical Center.

Performance Improvement Corner
Leadership Priorities

The UTHHCPC leadership sets priorities for organizational-wide activities and give high priority to high-volume, high risk or problem prone processes annually. (FY-06) Performance Improvement Priorities are: Seclusions—Restraints, Elopements, Compliance with the National Patient Safety Goals, Patient injuries –Falls, and Medication Errors with a specific focus on the CPOE and allergies

UTHHCPC received two certificates for participating in quality and safety initiatives during 2005

• Ernest A. Codman Award-Certificate of Appreciation to improve patient outcomes and operational efficiency.
• The American Hospital Association recognized the Harris County Psychiatric Center for its commitment to quality and patient safety and its participation in the American Hospital Association McKesson Quest for Quality Prize 2005.

Measuring Patient Satisfaction at UT Harris County Psychiatric Center
The UTHHCPC surveys patients and asks them to provide detailed information about their entire visit at our facility. Patients are asked to rate their visits from start to finish, including:

• efficiency of the admission process
• effectiveness of communication with physicians and nurses
• ability of the patient care team to control the patient's physical pain
• whether or not they would return to this hospital if needed
• the cleanliness and the comfort of the environment of care
• discharge planning
• treatment planning
• medication management
• perception of safety while in the hospital

UTHCPC distributes customer satisfaction surveys in Spanish and English for the following areas:

• Children
• Adults
• Adolescents
• Parent / Guardian
• Outpatient Services

Why we measure Patient Satisfaction

Committing resources to measuring patient satisfaction conveys a message that we value patients’ opinions and experiences. Data is reviewed quarterly and annually by clinical leadership and followed up with an action plan(s) to improve patient satisfaction. For the fiscal year 2006, clinical leadership has prioritized the following areas for improvement in patient satisfaction:

• Provide sufficient activities
• Unit 2C is a pilot unit that has chosen ‘activity enhancement’ as a multidiscipline unit based PI initiative.
• Improving the quietness of the living area

What are the latest results and how often are the results posted?

• Please click on the attachment above to review the results
• The results are posted quarterly on the Performance Improvement Website and also are posted in the display kiosks located on each elevator floor lobby.

What do the survey instruments look like?

• Copies of the survey instruments are available for viewing at the UTHCPC Performance Improvement website at http://hcpc.uth.tmc.edu/pihome/svcs/patsat/patsat.htm

Where can I get more information?

• Contact your department manager
• Contact the Performance Improvement department at 713-741-7861
• Go to the Performance Improvement Website at http://hcpc.uth.tmc.edu/pihome/svcs/patsat/patsat.htm