Family-centered Care and Choosing the 'Best' Hospital: What the Lists Don't Say; Audio Press Conference Advisory 7/16/2002
From: Kris Butler Mejia, 202-326-8705 News Advisory: U.S. News and World Report's annual list of Best Hospitals (July 22, 2002) tells an important but incomplete story. The list's omission of a broad continuum of factors that impact a patient's hospital experience -- and, ultimately, health and healing -- make it far from the final word on what constitutes the very best care available in American hospitals. Hospital administrators, medical professionals and advocates for family-centered care will talk about this approach to health care delivery that is revolutionizing the way hospitals care for patients and redefining "quality" in health care. WHAT: Audio Press Conference: Family-Centered Care WHEN: 12 p.m. EDT, Thursday, July 18 WHO: -- Beverley Johnson, president, Institute for Family-Centered Care -- James Conway, COO, Dana Farber Cancer Institute -- Patricia Sodomka, executive vice president and COO for Hospital Operations, MCG Health -- Juliette Schlucter, coordinator, Family-Centered Care, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia -- Dr. Uma Kotagal, director of health policy and clinical effectiveness, Children's Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati TOLL FREE DIAL-IN 1-888-747-3493 PASSCODE: 6096427 CALL TO RESERVE: Kris Butler Mejia, 202-326-8705 Family-centered care is an approach to health care delivery that encourages strong partnerships and effective communication between hospital staffs, patients and their families, rather than the "expert model" typically seen in medicine. An ever-expanding body of research shows that family-centered care is an essential element in improving health outcomes, ensuring patient safety, and enhancing consumer confidence in the health care system by giving equal weight to the expertise of medical professionals and the wants and needs of patients and families. Join us to hear directly from experts who have transformed their own hospitals into models of family-centered care. |