Political Quotes

“Let me just note a few things about it. It is entitled ``Running a Hospital Like a Factory, in a Good Way.'' The article tells a story of a hospital in suburban St. Louis, the SSM St. Joseph Health Center. It is a very complimentary article. The hospital is a nonprofit institution run by the Franciscan Sisters of Mary and the chief executive, a former seminarian, has really decided to make St. Joseph's Hospital different. They have decided they are going to go after quality control and the reduction of patient injuries and accidents at their hospital. They are using techniques that are used by private industry. I will quote from the article: Other hospitals are also starting to use some of the techniques that have made the hospital industry more efficient in its quest to improve quality and save money. Every year, preventable medical errors cost $9 billion, and tens of thousands of lives, according to a recent study by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, . . . So this hospital, St. Joseph's, in suburban St. Louis, decided to consult with General Electric, a major corporation, to find a way to make the services they offer to their patients better. They are using a process called Six Sigma. It is a statistical measure and refers to the goal of reducing errors to 3.5 parts per million.”