Alaska-based Military Hospital Earns National Recognition for Patient Safety (2024)

FAQs

Alaska-based Military Hospital Earns National Recognition for Patient Safety? ›

The military hospital on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, earned an “A” for excellence in patient safety earlier this month, making it one of nine military hospitals from across the nation that received a top score from The Leapfrog Group.

The Military Health System (MHS) is dedicated to providing quality care to all beneficiaries. One strategy utilized across the MHS to assess performance in the MTFs is accreditation by nationally-recognized healthcare accreditation organizations.

Our Mission is to promote a culture of safety to end preventable patient harm by engaging, educating and equipping patient-care teams to put evidenced-based leading practices in place across the organization.

Military hospitals and clinics are also referred to as Click to closeDirect CareDirect care refers to military hospitals and clinics, also known as “military treatment facilities” and “MTFs.”direct care, military treatment facilities or MTFs. Search by state or "overseas" to find a military hospital or clinic near you.

Does the military offer good health insurance? Yes. TRICARE provides comprehensive coverage and delivers a high level of care. While there are costs for beneficiaries not on active duty, the overall expense is low compared to most civilian health plans.

There are two main accrediting agencies for healthcare in the United States; TJC and DNV.

While civilian hospitals are more generalized, larger, and diverse in services, military hospitals are often smaller and house military-relevant units—burn units, prosthetic clinics, and more. Although military hospitals are smaller on average, there are varying sizes throughout the nation.

In 2002, The Joint Commission established its National Patient Safety Goals (NPSGs) program. The first set of NPSGs was effective January 1, 2003. The NPSGs were established to help accredited organizations address specific areas of concern regarding patient safety.

National Patient Safety Goals

The goals are designed to ensure accredited hospitals are affording patients the best care possible. Medication safety measure, following hand hygiene guidelines and preventing patient falls are examples of these goals.

Patient Safety Organizations (PSOs) collect and analyze data voluntarily reported by healthcare providers to help improve patient safety and healthcare quality. PSOs provide feedback to healthcare providers aimed at promoting learning and preventing future patient safety events.

What is the best military hospital in the US? ›

About Walter Reed National Military Medical Center

We are the world's largest joint military medical center. We have more than 2.4 million square feet of clinical space.

😂 Military hospitals at least the U.S. type are called “hospitals, military hospitals, field hospitals, combat hospitals, combat support hospitals, or a hospital ship.

The reorganization realigned all military clinics and hospitals from the Army, Navy and Air Force to the Defense Health Agency.

If you enter as a licensed physician, your rank will typically begin at captain or major (Army/Air Force) or lieutenant or lieutenant commander (Navy), but it may be higher depending on where you are in your civilian career.

TRICARE is the health care program for service members, retirees and their families worldwide. TRICARE provides comprehensive coverage, health plans, special programs, prescriptions and dental plans.

If a hospital loses its Joint Commission accreditation, which happens only a few times each year across the country, a hospital “could lose its ability to treat commercially insured patients,” said Jim Lott, executive vice president of the Hospital Assn. of Southern California.

Accredited Versus Non-Accredited Hospitals

Hospitals which have undergone accreditation are also more compliant to the (AMI) core measures set by The Joint Commission. Research proves that accrediting bodies contribute to an improvement in hospitals' organizational structure, quality of care and clinical outcome.

Look for the Gold Seal the next time you visit a hospital, nursing home, or other health care facility.

Is accreditation or certification mandatory? No. Health care organizations, programs, and services voluntarily pursue accreditation and certification.