IN Norwin Spring 2014 | Page 4

Outstanding Performance =
Better Patient Care
For the third year in a row, a commitment to quality and teamwork at UPMC McKeesport
has led to prestigious recognition by The Joint Commission as a Top Performing Hospital.

What are the best measures of quality a
patient can use when choosing a hospital?
That’s a question often asked by The Joint
Commission, the leading accrediting body
of health care organizations in America. Its
mission is to continuously improve health
care for the public by evaluating hospitals
and other organizations on their ability to
provide safe and effective care.
For the third consecutive year, The Joint
Commission has selected UPMC
McKeesport as a Top Performer on Key
Quality Measures®. This program annually
recognizes hospitals that are leading the
way nationally in using evidence-based
clinical processes that are shown to be the
best treatments for certain conditions.
The award recognizes UPMC McKeesport’s
exemplary performance in four key areas:
•
•
•
•

Heart attack
Heart failure
Pneumonia
Surgical care

“We’re very proud of our role as a patientcentered community hospital. This award
tells our patients that the quality of our care
is at the very best national standards,”
says Cynthia Dorundo, hospital president.
“It’s especially impressive that UPMC
McKeesport is among only a few hundred
hospitals throughout the country that have
been recognized every year since this
program’s inception in 2011.”

“Today’s patients are taking an increasingly
active role in their health care choices, so
independent measures of quality are very
important to the decision-making process,”
adds R. Curtis Waligura, DO, UPMC
McKeesport’s chief medical officer and
vice president of medical affairs. “The Joint
Commission’s recognition is especially
helpful because its unbiased approach is
based on very specific performance
indicators.”
According to Dr. Waligura, many of the
goals set by The Joint Commission were
well established at UPMC McKeesport.
“Our medical leaders were already
committed to the high levels of care
required for this achievement,” he says.

“We’re strong believers in using evidencebased medicine to document and measure
what we do well and to identify areas for
improvement,” he adds.
“Achieving this level of recognition requires
a highly collaborative process based on
open communication and cooperation by
every member of the medical team,”
notes Ms. Dorundo. “The enthusiasm and
commitment of our doctors, nurses,
technicians, and therapists inspire the
entire hospital community — including staff,
students, and volunteers — to recognize
the personal role they play in patient care.
Teamwork is core to our success.”
For more information or to find a physician,
visit UPMCMcKeesport.com, or call
1-800-533-UPMC (8762).

This advertorial has been provided by UPMC. © 2014 UPMC