Our Quality Philosophy

Since BayCare was formed in 1997, we have taught our Quality philosophy to thousands of our employees - we call them team members. It is one of the main components that brings all of us together as a united health system.

We define Quality as "Serving the Needs of Our Customer." Our efforts are aimed at meeting the needs of the customer and improving customer satisfaction with the services we deliver.

The diagram on the right is our Quality model. As you can see, the foundation of our philosophy is built upon "Customer Needs," "Process Focus" and "Continuous Improvement."

Guided by those principles, we are able to establish a Quality Process - a series of actions that bring about changes and results. "Quality Planning," "Quality Improvement" and "Quality Assessment and Reporting" formulate BayCare's Quality Process.

In addition, our Quality model works in an environment with "Communication," "Education & Training," "Recognition & Reward" and "Leadership."

Performance Improvement

Performance Improvement Department Mission

The BayCare Performance Improvement Department drives process excellence across the organization to promote quality and efficiency by guiding teams through data-driven, process-focused approaches based on customer needs and best practices.  We help guide BayCare in its efforts to standardize high-performing processes to achieve sustainable improvements.

Department Values/Guiding Principles

  • Trust: We are open, honest at all times, and all communication is founded in the belief of mutual respect and assuming the best intent.
  • Respect: We demonstrate due regard for the feelings, wishes, rights, traditions and experience of others.
  • Dignity: We possess purposeful regard for humanity in others and ourselves, promoting confidence in each other.
  • Responsibility: We are personally obligated to do the right thing at all times, and hold ourselves accountable to perform to the best of our ability.
  • Excellence: We aspire to be outstanding in everything we do.
  • Integrity: We pledge our commitment to act and respond in the best interest of our team and the customers we serve.
  • Accountability: We take personal ownership for the department and the organization’s success.
  • Responsive: We are fully prepared to respond readily with interest and enthusiasm to meet the customer’s needs.
  • Compassionate: We show genuine empathy for the needs, feelings and wellbeing of others.
  • Innovative/Continuous Learners: We use creative thinking for the pursuit of continuous improvement ensuring reliable delivery of high value to our customers. We embrace continuous learning, changing and improving to achieve and sustain excellence.

Areas of focus:

Process Improvement Project support:

  • Simulation modeling of care processes- discrete event simulation model development
  • Managing for Daily Improvement- visual management and focus on daily process improvements that drive improved outcomes
  • Care Coordination processes-improving the discharge process for inpatients, improving the handoff of patients between various departments in a hospital as well as post acute care transition
  • Zero Harm/Patient Safety- adverse event reduction
  • Clinical Pathway development
  • Hospital Throughput-emergency department throughput, improving the discharge process for inpatients
  • Reduced Readmissions, Mortalities and Infections
  • Patient and Provider Satisfaction
  • Staff efficiency

Education and Training provided to the organization:

  • Lean
  • Six Sigma
  • Focus PDSA
  • Workout
  • Managing for Daily Improvement
  • Statistical analysis

Quality Sharing Day:

We celebrated our Culture of Quality with our first Quality Sharing Day on Oct. 23, 2006 with approximately 200 team members in attendance that has now expanded into an event that is attended by 1200 team members from across the system.

Quality Sharing Day’s three thematic areas, Recognition, Celebration and Education, elevate the successes and unique approaches to patient care and improvement that originate from within BayCare

The event provides a venue for our teams to teach and highlight some of our most successful performance improvements and best practices with other team members in the health system. The event helps us accelerate our replication of best practices and communicate the positive changes developed by our teams every day.