Patients & Visitors

Hospital Report Card Act Public Notice of Quality Initiatives

Nurse Staffing Information

In accordance with the Illinois Hospital Report Card Act and the Illinois staffing by Acuity Law, patients, family members, and the general public may request nurse staffing information for the University of Illinois Hospital & Clinics. Accordingly, the following information is available upon request:

• Methodology to determine and adjust nurse staffing levels
• Information on staff training and orientation
• Unit specific staffing plans

Currently Hospitalized Patients
If you or a family member are currently hospitalized, you have the right to ask for this information.

During normal business hours - Monday-Friday, 8 am to 4 pm - you may ask your nurse to contact the department manager for assistance in obtaining the information. Requests from, or on behalf of, currently hospitalized patients will be addressed within 2 hours during normal business hours.

To obtain information outside of normal business hours, please call 312.996.3725 and ask for the Hospital Operations Administrator. Requests outside of normal business hours will be addressed within 4 hours.

Requests from the Public and Individuals Not Currently Hospitalized
Requests from the public or those not currently hospitalized will be addressed within seven business days.
Information requests must be submitted in writing.

Please send a letter with your request, including your name and mailing address, to:

Nursing Administration
University of Illinois Hospital & Clinics
1740 W. Taylor St.
Chicago, IL 60612

National Improvement Quality Initiatives

We hope our patients will use the information to discuss their care with their University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System physician. Helping you understand your care is one of our goals, and providing you with the best care possible is what you can expect.

AMI Heart Attack/Heart Failure
Through multidisciplinary collaboration at the University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System, patients receive expedient treatment for AMI heart attack or chronic heart failure. We offer 24-hour availability of a team of Emergency Department specialists, cardiologists, pulmonologists, nurses, and pharmacists who follow evidence-based medicine to ensure positive outcomes for each patient.

Through our Quality Improvement team chaired by a cardiologist, we measure how well we are doing and continuously advance patient care. A proposal is in process to have Ambulance staff perform the EKG and transmit the reading to Emergency Department clinicians prior to patient arrival, thus shortening the time to diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Our data demonstrates the ability to open a clogged artery by balloon therapy within the national benchmark of 90 minutes from hospital arrival. The medical literature states the time to balloon therapy less than 90 minutes results in reduced heart damage. The cardiology team actively monitors each patient from the ED arrival to the discharge. Our inpatient mortality rate following a heart attack has been lower than state and national comparative rates.

Medication management for our congestive heart failure patients ranges between 94%-100%. The medical literature supports medication management for increasing the heart's ability to pump. Ninety six percent or more of our heart failure patients receive an evaluation of heart muscle function to maximize treatment. 100% of smokers are automatically screened and offered referrals to the Smoking Cessation Clinic for additional treatment and counseling. We have established a set of English and Spanish discharge instructions for heart failure patients.

Pneumonia
Ninety two percent or more of our pneumonia patients have blood cultures drawn prior to antibiotic administration. Blood culture results reveal infection that may be treated with antibiotics. Through ED fast-track assessment, pneumonia patients receive antibiotics within the recommended 6-hour window. Oxygen assessment scores are 100 percent. Patients who smoke are automatically referred to the Smoking Cessation Clinic for assistance, where multiple strategies and support systems are available.

Surgical care infection prevention
For Surgical Care Infection Prevention our hospital has scored an average of 96-97% for on time and appropriate antibiotics provided. Compliance to these metrics lowers the risk of hospital acquired infection. Our Quality Improvement team has redesigned the operating room record with reminders for intervention. Our Quality Improvement team communicates compliance results to the surgical team, and as a result of consistent feedback, compliance rates meet or exceed national rates.

Children asthma care
Our hospital maintains a perfect score of 100 percent for medication management for Children's Asthma Care. The reliever medications provide immediate relief of sudden symptoms and the constrictor medications prevent asthma symptoms. The Home Management Plan of Care is an individualized patient action plan for the asthmatic patient. Our data shows that we need to document giving a copy of the plan to the family member/caregiver more consistently, and a team is actively working to improve in this area.

Overall
We hope our patients will use the information in the Joint Commission Quality Report to discuss their care with their University Of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System physician. Helping you understand your care is one of our goals, and providing you with the best care possible is what you can expect.