Cincinnati Children's Honored for Commitment to Quality

Quest for Quality Prize Recognizes Leadership and Innovation in Quality, Safety and Patient Care

Monday, January 01, 0001

SAN FRANCISCO (July 13, 2006) – Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center was recognized today for its leadership and innovation in quality, safety and commitment to patient care. Cincinnati Children's received the 2006 American Hospital Association-McKesson Quest for Quality Prize". The recognition includes a prize of $75,000.

Cincinnati Children's was selected by a multidisciplinary committee of health care and patient safety experts based on its culture of quality and efforts to adhere to the Institute of Medicine's six quality aims for hospitals.

The American Hospital Association-McKesson Quest for Quality Prize" is presented annually to honor leadership and innovation in quality, safety and commitment in patient care. The prize is supported by grants from the McKesson Foundation and McKesson Corporation. The criteria for the 2006 award include the demonstration of an organizational commitment to achieving the Institute of Medicine's six quality aims -- safety, patient-centeredness, effectiveness, efficiency, timeliness and equity. One goal of the award is to honor organizations that have made successful quality improvements and that offer models that can be replicated by others in the hospital field. Relevant learnings and key elements for achieving progress that have stood out among the current and past honorees include recognizing that organizational leadership is critical, that what is measured is what gets attention and that patient and family involvement is integral to quality improvements.

Baptist Memorial Hospital for Women in Memphis, Tennessee and Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo, Michigan received the Citation of Merit.

"Each hospital recognized today has taken a slightly different path in its efforts to improve quality and patient care," said Dick Davidson, AHA's president. "But each has successfully created a new culture – one based on trust, understanding and openness. That culture is absolutely essential in the continuous process of change that is necessary to ensuring that care is always the safest and of the highest quality it can possibly be."

"We're pleased to have the opportunity to recognize and support the important efforts hospitals across the nation are making to improve patient safety," said John H. Hammergren, Chairman and CEO of McKesson Corporation. "We hope the Quest for Quality Prize" will help encourage health care institutions to more quickly adopt the IOM's six quality aims."

Cincinnati Children's has been nationally recognized as a leader in pediatric health care, with a reputation for excellence in patient care, research and medical education. The medical center has completely engrained quality improvement and excellence and all six of the Institute of Medicine's quality aims into its institutional culture. The hospital's governing board, medical staff and executive management are aligned in their goals and closely collaborate on quality improvement initiatives.

• In particular, Cincinnati Children's has made major strides in patient-centeredness, uses evidence-based guidelines, strives to address racial disparities in their community and uses data very effectively. Data drives the medical center's efforts to be more transparent both inside and outside the organization about the quality of its care. Data is currently shared with the board and throughout the organization and plans are underway to develop an internet-based reporting system that will share information with the public.
• This is a learning organization that actively seeks out opportunities to work with others to achieve major goals. For example, physicians and staff confer with parents or guardians at all junctures of the treatment process and encourage parents to participate in family-centered rounds. The hospital ties its process management and improvement efforts directly to ongoing monitoring and ensures that process improvements are applied throughout the organization.

For more information on the award, including the 2007 Call for Nominations and award application, visit the Quest for Quality web site.

About the AHA

The AHA is a not-for-profit association of health care provider organizations and individuals that are committed to the improvement of health in their communities. The AHA is the national advocate for its members, which include almost 5,000 hospitals, health care systems, networks and other providers of care. Founded in 1898, the AHA provides education for health care leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends. For more information visit the American Hospital Association web site.

About McKesson Corporation

McKesson Corporation (NYSE: MCK), currently ranked 16th on the FORTUNE 500, is a healthcare services and information technology company dedicated to helping its customers deliver high-quality healthcare by reducing costs, streamlining processes and improving the quality and safety of patient care. Over the course of its 173-year history, McKesson has grown to provide pharmaceutical and medical-surgical supply management across the spectrum of care; healthcare information technology for hospitals, physicians, homecare and payors; hospital and retail pharmacy automation; and services for manufacturers and payors designed to improve outcomes for patients. For more information, visit their web site.

About McKesson Foundation

The McKesson Foundation supports community-based programs and services aimed at improving the health status of at-risk children and adults. The Foundation is funded by McKesson Corporation, a healthcare services and information technology company dedicated to helping its customers deliver high-quality healthcare by reducing costs, streamlining processes and improving the quality and safety of patient care.

About Cincinnati Children's

Cincinnati Children's is a 475-bed institution devoted to bringing the world the joy of healthier kids. Cincinnati Children's is dedicated to transforming the way health care is delivered by providing care that is timely, efficient, effective, family-centered, equitable and safe. It ranks third nationally among all pediatric centers in research grants from the National Institutes of Health. The Cincinnati Children's vision is to be the leader in improving child health.