 To the OHA team:
We’ve talked a lot about change over the past several weeks. Change is happening at every level of our agency as we align our functions to better achieve the triple aim. We are also taking a look at recent agency successes and learning from the work it took to get there.
One of these successes is Oregon State Hospital. Ten years ago, the hospital was very different from today. Over the past decade, a focused push to improve the way we care for and treat state hospital patients has culminated in two beautiful new facilities that provide a therapeutic environment and support active treatment. The hospital has embraced Lean methodology, embedding continuous improvement tools and data-driven decisions throughout the organization.
Proof of the hospital’s dramatic change for the better comes from the Joint Commission, a national accreditation organization that conducts surprise on-site surveys. Last month, five surveyors spent a week at Oregon State Hospital, including both Salem and Junction City campuses, talking to patients and staff, and visiting all areas of the facilities.
The feedback was overwhelmingly positive. The surveyors were particularly impressed by the hospital’s quality management system, saying, “You are far beyond the curve, even compared with larger hospital systems.”
Another participant who had surveyed the hospital during a previous visit, said, “I did not realize I had been here six years ago, this is a completely different and better hospital!"
Change is hard, but improved outcomes are the reward. Congratulations and thanks to our Oregon State Hospital staff and everyone who contributed to the hospital’s transformation. They prove that transition, done well, will help us to better serve the people in our state who are most vulnerable.
Thank you, Lynne
To your health: May is National Arthritis Awareness Month. Arthritis is the leading cause of disability. More than one in four Oregonians live with arthritis and more than half of them are limited in daily activities. But moderate levels of activity, such as walking and stretching, can help relieve symptoms, reduce fatigue and pain, and at the same time improve mobility, coordination, strength and mood. Self-management programs such as Living Well, Walk with Ease and Enhance Fitness improve quality of life for people with arthritis and anybody who wants to remain active. To find programs available in your communities, call 1-888-576-7414 or visit the OHA self-management website.
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