What Quality Means to Us – and You
Providence Health & Services is committed to providing the best health care and service to every person, every time. Here in Washington, more than 20,000 health care professionals put this commitment into action every day.
What does our leadership in quality mean to you when you see your doctor, check into a hospital, or receive care at home? In everything we do, we’re guided by the following six aims, first outlined by the Institute of Medicine:
- Safe – Avoiding injuries to patients from the care that is intended to help them.
- Timely – Reducing waits and sometimes-harmful delays for both those who receive care and those who give care.
- Effective – Matching care to science, avoiding overuse of ineffective care and underuse of effective care.
- Efficient – Avoiding waste in order to maximize value.
- Equitable – Providing care that does not vary in quality because of personal characteristics, geographic location or socioeconomic status.
- Patient-centered and family-centered – Always honoring the individual and respecting choice.
Take a Closer Look at Quality
With all the health care information online, it’s important to know where you can go for
reliable information on quality. You’ll find objective quality ratings and other helpful consumer information at the following websites:
This website’s Quality Check feature makes it easy to see whether a health care organization has earned the renowned Gold Seal of Approval from this independent, nonprofit organization. The Joint Commission is America’s oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care.
Get information about the quality of care at more than 4,000 Medicare-certified hospitals across the country, including Washington state. This website is a collaboration of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and organizations representing consumers, hospitals, doctors, employers, accrediting organizations and other federal agencies.
The AHRQ website shares a wealth of research and Washington-specific information to help you make more informed health care decisions. Explore treatment options, know the top 10 questions to ask your doctor, and get a “state snapshot” of quality health care in Washington.