Norman Regional Health System: A City-Owned Public Trust Dedicated to Improving Performance

Describes successful strategies for providing recommended treatment on process-of-care measures, including board and administration support, order sets, concurrent review, performance feedback, transparency, and engaging nurses. Outlines lessons learned

Duke University Hospital: Organizational and Tactical Strategies to Enhance Patient Satisfaction

Highlights organizational and tactical strategies for realizing high patient satisfaction, including the use of communication boards in each room stating the plan of care, a "Balanced Scorecard" evaluation tool, and Six Sigma improvement methodology

St. Mary's Health Center: Focus on Core Measures Improves Quality

Describes strategies that greatly improved process-of-care measures, including communication through physician-led committees and peers, standardization through order sets, concurrent and retrospective chart reviews, and transparency and data analysis

Brigham and Women's Hospital: "Moving the Needle" Takes People, Processes, and Leadership

Describes three strategies implemented simultaneously to enhance patient satisfaction: creating strong leadership commitment; improving care processes; and training a customer-focused staff. Discusses patient surveys and performance scorecards

Iowa's 1st Five Initiative: Improving Early Childhood Developmental Services Through Public-Private Partnerships

Evaluates the state's initiative to improve early detection of social and emotional developmental delays and other problems with better tools, training for staff and special care coordinators, partnerships with community groups, and timely notification

Mercy Medical Center: Reducing Readmissions Through Clinical Excellence, Palliative Care, and Collaboration

Outlines strategies and practices behind low readmissions rates for heart attack, heart failure, and pneumonia patients, such as investing in advanced practice nurses who help incorporate evidence-based standards into patient care. Lists lessons learned

Aiming Higher for Health System Performance: A Profile of Seven States That Perform Well on the Commonwealth Fund's 2009 State Scorecard

Identifies policies and practices linked to high performance in six top-ranked states and the most-improved state in 2007-09. Offers insights into improving coverage, prevention and treatment, avoidable hospital use and costs, equity, and healthy lives

Lessons From High- and Low-Performing States for Raising Overall Health System Performance

Examines socioeconomic, demographic, political, cultural, and marketplace factors that influence health system improvement in high- and low-ranking states in the State Scorecard on Health System Performance and outlines promising strategies

Eliminating Central Line Infections and Spreading Success at High-Performing Hospitals

Synthesizes lessons in preventing central line-associated bloodstream infections, including the importance of evidence-based protocols, dedicated teams to oversee central line insertions, participation in collaboratives, and monitoring of infection rates