Horn Memorial Hospital (HMH) is participating in a national pilot project focusing on transfers from the emergency department. The project is supported by Telligen (the Iowa Quality Improvement Organization) and funded through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Iowa is one of eight states participating in this pilot project.
While emergency care is important in all hospitals, it is particularly critical in rural hospitals where effective stabilization and transfer of patients is essential. For example, providing the necessary and appropriate information can be of life or death importance when transferring a patient to another facility from a rural hospitals' emergency department.
Data indicating how well a rural hospital completes this important care transition role is currently not widely available. This new pilot project will provide Horn Memorial and other rural hospitals with the training and support to collect information on emergency department transfer communication. This data will be used to improve the quality of care and outcomes for patients transferred from our emergency department.
Jill Webb, HMH Outpatient Director comments, "Communication is an essential tool healthcare workers need to utilize to ensure our patients are receiving the best quality of care. By participating in this pilot project, the emergency department staff at Horn Memorial is dedicated to making sure all pertinent information is being communicated to the receiving facility when we transfer a patient, thus improving outcomes."
