Posted in: Triangle Times Today
AAAHC | Supplement | March 2023
Annual Kershner Award Winners Announced
March brings NCAA Madness, the Oscars, and Kershner QI winners. At the recent virtual Achieving Accreditation program, AAAHC honored the six finalists of the 2022–23 Kershner QI Award and announced the two winners.
As a finalist, an organization is recognized for having developed, implemented, and demonstrated a successful and measurable quality improvement program. In addition, the panel reviews all submissions for evidence of innovative thinking, working as a team, and examples that can be used in other ambulatory health care settings or for other ambulatory health care issues. The winners are chosen by an Expert Panel and exemplify these criteria using a quantitative and qualitative review.
The primary care award went to University Health Services, Princeton University for their submission, “Increasing Effective Chlamydia and Gonorrhea Screening and Testing for Patients at a University Health Center.”
Amanda Borgstrom, DNP, FNP-C,
Nurse Practitioner
The study aimed to increase effective chlamydia and gonorrhea screening and testing, leading to earlier detection and prevention of complications and disease transmission in a campus community. Core interventions included an in-house Self-Administered Sexual History (SASH) tool to identify whether a patient was eligible for testing; an effective care log (ECL) consisting of eight indicators to audit care and provide feedback; and a quantitative data collection period of three days per week and qualitive data collection every two weeks to analyze salient themes. Upon completion of the eight-week QI study term, effective chlamydia and gonorrhea testing increased from 44% to 76%, exceeding the goal of 60%.
In the surgical/procedural category, Texas Health Surgery Center, Arlington won for “Teammate Satisfaction.”
Natasha Granado, RN, BSN
Using a Teammate Satisfaction Survey, the study examined the overall employee experience as related to patient safety with a goal of increasing Employee Experience Index (EXI) scores on future surveys. Data results culled from online research showed that a heavy workload presented challenges for staff. In addition, a Culture of Safety Survey distributed to staff identified four areas related to staffing, work pressure, and pace which specified key areas of improvement. Following corrective actions and continuous monitoring, teammate EXI scores rose from 73.3% to 90.5% at the conclusion of the study, surpassing the goal of 85% or greater. Following the conclusion of the study, EXI scores rose further to 97.1%, the highest within the organization.
We congratulate all finalists for their successful efforts to improve quality and patient safety. Their efforts move the needle on quality improvement and provide inspiration for all organizations that hold AAAHC Accreditation and Certification.
