Quality and Patient Safety
Our Commitment to Quality and Patient Safety
At Southwest General, providing safe, high-quality care is at the heart of everything we do. Quality and patient safety are foundational to our strategic plan and guide how we care for our patients, support our staff and continuously improve the care experience.
Our goal is clear: to build a culture of safety and quality that strives for zero preventable harm, improves the patient experience, reduces disparities in care and delivers exceptional clinical outcomes for every patient and family we serve.
How We Are Advancing Patient Safety
Leadership and Accountability
Quality and patient safety are organizational priorities. Safety and quality goals are incorporated into leadership expectations and supported by oversight from Southwest General’s Board of Trustees.
Transparency and Continuous Learning
We encourage our staff to speak up and report safety concerns. When an event occurs, we work to understand what happened, identify opportunities for improvement, share what we learn and implement changes designed to prevent future harm.
A Safe Environment for Patients and Staff
A strong culture of safety includes both those receiving care and those providing it. We invest in education and training for our staff and leaders and support strategies that promote physical and psychological safety throughout our organization.
Partnership with Patients and Families
Patients, families and caregivers are important partners in our safety efforts. We listen to their experiences and feedback and use what we learn to help improve the way we deliver care.
Evidence-Based Practices
We work with recognized patient safety and quality organizations and use proven, evidence-based practices to continuously improve care and outcomes.
How We Measure Our Progress
We use data to understand how well our safety and quality efforts are working and where additional improvements may be needed. Measures we monitor include:
- Serious safety events
- Patient harm
- Culture of safety survey results
- Workforce safety
- CMS Hospital Star Rating
- Patient experience feedback
These measures help our teams identify trends, establish priorities and continually improve the safety, quality and experience of care we provide.
Our Commitment in Action
Our commitment to quality and patient safety is reflected in how we care for patients every day—and in the standards we hold ourselves accountable to.
In 2026, Southwest General earned full ISO 9001 Quality Management System certification from DNV, an internationally recognized standard focused on consistency, accountability and continuous improvement. The certification reflects an organization-wide approach to standardizing processes, using data to guide decisions, measuring performance and continually identifying ways to improve care.
Additionally, Southwest General has been nationally recognized for clinical
excellence, including being named one of HealthGrades’ America’s
100 Best Hospitals for 2026, placing the hospital among the top 2% of
hospitals nationwide for consistent clinical excellence.
These achievements are more than recognition. They reflect the work of our physicians, nurses, staff and leaders to provide care that is safe, reliable and continually improving for every patient we serve.
Your Voice Matters
Patients and families play an important role in helping us improve. We encourage you to ask questions, speak up about concerns and share feedback about your experience at Southwest General.
If you have a question or concern about your care, please contact our Patient Relations Department at 440-816-8052.