Letter to the editor: HCMC pledges high-quality service
To the Editor:
I am concerned when I see and hear bad news as I did recently about infection rates in hospitals. The headline in the Wichita paper was an alarming: A top cause of death: hospitals. I want to assure our community that quality patient care is the number one concern of Hillsboro Community Medical Center.
I heard on the news that many hospitals were challenged because of cutbacks in staffing and cleaning personnel. At HCMC, we have not cut back on nurses or housekeeping staff. We take the time to maintain good sanitation.
While I think the recent attention paints a misleading picture of infection control procedures, it does highlight the serious problem of infection control that we fight every day. While we do not have to deal with severity of cases seen at other facilities, such as burn patients and major invasive procedures, we still work very hard at infection control. Preventing infections is a never ending process here with new challenges and situations emerging all the time.
Another reason this is being highlighted is that today we continue to see the sickest patients. Due to changes in insurance and trying to reduce costs, patients wait until they are extremely ill before they come into the hospital system. Many times it is the elderly or the young whose immune systems have been compromised and may be most susceptible to germs. At the same time, we're fighting new germs that are more and more resistant to antibiotics.
To win the battle, infection control must be everybody's job. We pledge to always search for ways to reduce the potential for infections. While we are closely monitored by governmental agencies, an educated public will be our best partner in assuring quality patient care.
Michael J. Ryan
Administrator and CEO, Hillsboro Community Medical Center
