Grundy County Memorial Hospital | Live Well | Spring 2019

At Grundy County Memo- rial Hospital (GCMH), qual- ity is not what we do. Quality health care is who we are! Quality health care can be defined as doing the right thing at the right time in the right way to achieve the best possible results . Behind the scenes— well before patients enter our doors for care—our caregivers are intentional about the care you will experience. What is quality care? Patients and families recognize quality care when they experience it. A nurse’s response to a call light, the timeliness of test results, an emphasis on medication safety—all of these are ways in which patients >> health NEWS Did you know that Grundy County Memorial Hospital can provide cost estimates to you before you receive health care services? If you are scheduled for diagnostic services such as x-ray, CT scan, MRI, ultrasound or a sleep study, or are planning outpatient or inpatient surgery, a cost estimate can be prepared for you. “Today’s technology has made it possible for you to receive an estimate for a specific service that you have sched- uled,” says Lynn Blythe, who leads the hospital’s patient access team. “While many variables affect hospital costs and charges, we are able to provide an estimate that’s based on the type of insurance you have and co-pays, Adam Scherling, MHA GCMH President Lynn Blythe, Director of Revenue Cycle Quality—it’s who we are experience quality care. Quality care is the result of workflows and processes that are based on best practices and instilled into each caregiver’s routine. How is quality measured? At GCMH, our performance improvement team carefully studies how care has been provided to assure that care stan- dards have been met or exceeded. For instance, when a patient arrives at the hospital’s Emergency Department with chest pain, he or she should receive an EKG within ten minutes. The hospital’s standard is that this will occur 100 per- cent of the time. What other steps does GCMH take to provide quality care? GCMH embraces national patient safety stan- dards established by health care ac- crediting agencies. We also submit our data to the Iowa Hospital Association for comparison with other hospitals and to the federal government agency that administers Medicare payments. An annual “culture of safety” survey seeks employee input about safety measures. GCMH is also beginning a new voluntary accreditation process. Accreditation is used by health care organizations to accurately assess their level of performance in relationship to established standards. GCMH is consistently working to meet and exceed the expectations you have for high-quality health care. The best measure of quality is our patients. While the data we compile does not capture how our patients feel when they are here, the kind words you use on the surveys you complete help show the essence of who we are. Thank you for your choice of GCMH for your health care needs. Adam Scherling, MHA President H E A LT H C A R E COS T S Be in the know deductibles or other out-of-pocket expenses that your health insurance requires.” Financial counselors are available to provide out-of- pocket cost estimates based on your planned health care services and normal reimbursement from your insurance carrier/health plan. To take advantage of this service, contact GCMH Scheduling for a cost estimate in advance of your care by calling 319-824-5081 or 888-824-5081 . In addition, Blythe says your health insurance plan can provide an individualized estimate of your out-of-pocket costs for a specific health care service. Current standard charges The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) now requires hospitals to provide a list of their current standard charges, including every item and service provided by the hospital, on the hospital’s website. But this list of standard charges does not provide information on what your final cost will be for a specific health care service. Your financial responsibility will vary depending on your health insurance plan, so utilizing a care cost estimate is recommended. 2

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