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August 31, 2010

Foundation congratulates Hamilton Medical Center for providing quality care

Submitted by Hamilton Health Care System

The Georgia Medical Care Foundation (GMCF) has recognized Hamilton Medical Center for its commitment to quality improvement. Hamilton worked with GMCF to reduce the incidence of pressure ulcers.

“We take pressure ulcers seriously at Hamilton,” said Joanie Jackson, director of Quality and Patient Safety. “Prevention and early identification is our goal.”

Pressure ulcers are a significant source of pain and suffering, particularly among the elderly, due to changes in the skin related to aging. Millions of dollars are spent annually on the prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers.  

“Hamilton is truly committed to improving the quality of care for its residents,” noted Anne Hernandez, manager of GMCF’s Patient Safety Initiative. “By working to reduce pressure ulcers, Hamilton improved the quality of residents’ lives and helped to reduce health care costs.”

Paula Shrader is the inpatient wound care coordinator for Hamilton. She is a certified wound care nurse (CWCN), a rare specialty.

CWCN is a certification that is granted to nurses who take and pass the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurse Board Exam (WOCN). To qualify to take the exam, the applicant must have a bachelor of science in nursing degree and meet one of the following: have completed a WOCN-approved educational track, or completed a graduate-level program containing the education equal to two semester hours in wound care nursing, or have 50 continuing education units in wound care nursing and 1,500 clinical practice hours. The CWCN is renewed on a five-year cycle.

Quality of care measures for hospitals are tracked and reported publicly on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Hospital Compare website. To view Hospital Compare, visit www.medicare.gov and scroll down to select “Hospitals” under Resource Locator.

GMCF, the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization for Georgia, is a not-for-profit, physician-sponsored organization dedicated to continuously improving health care. In operation since 1970, GMCF provides innovative health care solutions focused on quality improvement, utilization management, medical review and health care outcomes research. For more information please visit www.gmcf.org.

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