At Lakeland HealthCare, providing for the safety of our patients is one of our core values. As southwest Michigan's healthcare leader, we provide leading-edge medical services, highly specialized healthcare professionals, quality care, and one of the highest levels of patient safety in this region.
Lakeland's hospitals are certified by the Joint Commission. The standards and performance expectations set by the Joint Commission evaluate if an organization does the right things for its patients and does them well. Lakeland has surpassed the national average for all 15 indicators recommended by the Joint Commission to provide high-quality care for patients admitted to our hospitals for pneumonia, congestive heart failure and heart attack. See the link on our homepage for more information on our accreditation by the Joint Commission.
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MI Hospital Inform
MI Hospital Inform (www.MIHospitalInform.org)
is a voluntary consumer service of the Michigan Health & Hospital
Association (MHA) and the state’s 146 nonprofit community hospitals. “The site
presents Michigan hospital charges, payments and quality data in unprecedented
detail and accessibility,” said MHA President Spencer Johnson.
Hospital Compare
The Hospital Compare website was created
through the efforts of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS),
an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), along with
the Hospital Quality Alliance (HQA). The HQA is a public-private collaboration
established to promote reporting on hospital quality of care. The HQA consists
of organizations that represent consumers, hospitals, doctors and nurses,
employers, accrediting organizations, and Federal agencies. The information on
this website can be used by any adult needing hospital care.
Be a Partner in Your Safety
To improve patient safety, Lakeland encourages patients and their family members to be active participants in their care. Research has shown that patients who take part in decisions about their healthcare are more likely to have better outcomes. You, as the patient, play a vital role in your safety by becoming an active, involved and informed member of your healthcare team.
Lakeland HealthCare recommends that you consider the following points in guiding your own care:
- Speak up if you have questions or concerns, and if you don't understand, ask again. It's your body and you have the right to know. Your health is too important to worry about being embarrassed if you don't understand something that your physician, nurse or other healthcare professional tells you.
- Pay attention to the care you are receiving. Make sure you're getting the right treatments and medications by the right healthcare professionals. Don't assume anything. Tell your nurse or physician if something doesn't seem right.
- Educate yourself about your diagnosis, the medical tests you are undergoing, and your treatment plan.
- Ask a trusted family member or friend to be your advocate, a team member with you. Your advocate can ask questions that you may not think of while you are under stress.
- Know what medications you take and why you take them. Tell your physicians and nurses if you are taking any medications, vitamins, herbal supplements and over-the-counter drugs in addition to what has been prescribed during your hospital stay. Medication errors are the most common healthcare mistakes.
- Use a hospital, clinic, surgery center, or other type of healthcare organization that has undergone a rigorous on-site evaluation against established, state-of-the-art quality and safety standards, such as that provided by Joint Commission. Go to "Quality Check" at www.jcaho.org to find out whether your hospital or other healthcare organization is accredited, as Lakeland HealthCare is.
- Participate in all decisions about your treatment. You are the center of the healthcare team. You and your physician should agree on exactly what will be done during each step of your care.
If you have questions about the information presented here or want to know more about how to be a partner in your safe care, talk to your physician or a member of your care team.
If you have a concern about your safety or the care being provided to you, we encourage you to "speak up" to your nurse or doctor. If that makes you uncomfortable, we ask that you share your concerns with the nurse manager or supervisor assigned to you as soon as possible. You have a right to having your complaint or grievance resolved promptly. Exercising this right will not compromise your care and can be done in a confidential manner, if you choose. Please call 983-8624 to file a grievance.
You can also contact the following state agencies for unresolved concerns:
- The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Customer Service, 1 Renaissance, Oak Brook Terrace, IL 60181
- Michigan Department of Community Health, 201 Townsend St., Capitol View Bldg., 7th Floor, Lansing, MI 48913, Complaint hotline: 1-800-882-6006
- Michigan's Quality Improvement Organization MPRO, 22670 Haggerty Rd., Suite 100,
Farmington Hills, MI 48335 Phone: 248-465-7300 - Michigan Department of Civil Rights, 499 W. Main Street, Benton Harbor, MI 49022
Phone: 269-925-7044
