Patient Safety Initiatives
Working Together for Safe, High-Quality Care
At Southwest General, your safety is an essential part of the care we provide. Our physicians, nurses and staff work together to spot safety concerns, follow best practices and keep finding ways to improve.
You play an important role too. Ask questions, understand your care plan and speak up whenever something doesn’t seem right.
How We Help Keep You Safe
Safe Medication Practices
Our care teams use technology and proven safety practices to help reduce the risk of medication errors. Electronic medication records and smart IV pump technology add safeguards, and we review your medication list when you’re admitted, when you move between units and when you go home to make sure it’s accurate.
Coordinated Through Your Electronic Record
Southwest General’s electronic medical record helps your care team see important health information and coordinate your care. You can access your records through HealtheLife: https://www.swgeneral.com/patients-visitors/healthelife-patient-portal/
Team-Based Care
Your care may involve physicians, nurses, pharmacists, therapists and other clinical professionals. These teams meet and communicate to plan your care around your individual needs.
Monitoring Quality and Safety
We regularly review quality and safety information to identify trends, measure our performance and find ways to improve. We use what we learn to strengthen our processes and support better outcomes for our patients.
Learning and Improving
We encourage staff to report safety concerns. When a concern or safety event occurs, we work to understand what happened, learn from it and make changes to reduce the risk of future harm.
You Are an Important Part of Your Care Team
You can help by:
- Asking questions when something is unclear.
- Sharing a complete and accurate health and medication history.
- Making sure you understand your medications and treatment plan.
- Taking part in decisions about your care.
- Speaking up if something doesn’t seem right or you have a safety concern.
- Asking what to expect when you leave the hospital, including medications, follow-up care and symptoms that need medical attention.
Have a Concern About Your Care?
If you’re worried about a change in your condition right now, tell your nurse immediately.
For other questions or concerns, we encourage you to speak with a member of your care team or the manager of the department providing your care.
Our Patient Relations Department is also available to help patients and families. Call 440-816-8052.
Learn more about Patient Relations
You may also contact the Ohio Department of Health and DNV at any time, whether or not you’ve first spoken with the hospital.
Our Commitment to Quality & Patient Safety
Patient safety is part of Southwest General’s larger commitment to quality, transparency, accountability and continuous improvement.