Addressing diversity and moving toward equity in hospital care.

Healthcare disparities are a major challenge for hospital and healthcare system leadership. Leaders must possess vision, visibility, and ability to drive organizational change toward an environment that fosters diversity and cultural competence. As challenging economic conditions force management to make difficult budgetary decisions, the integration of equity into the organization's core mission and strategic process is essential for sustainability.

Leadership and hospital preparedness: disaster management and emergency services in pediatrics.

Background: : The purpose of this article is to describe the role of leadership in hospital preparedness in addressing the needs of pediatric patients in times of disaster and emergency.

Methods: : Descriptive article was derived from conference presentation of current practice by health care leaders.

Results: : Leadership is critical in emergency preparedness.

Using the quality improvement committee to establish accountability and yield results.

Healthcare organizations can respond effectively and efficiently to the needs of consumers and the demands of customers, accreditation agencies, and regulators by implementing a comprehensive quality improvement (QI) program. Using committees with cross-departmental representation, the QI program can facilitate review, analysis, prioritization of opportunities for improvement, and the facilitation of positive change. This article provides an example of how a managed behavioral healthcare organization responded to consumer needs and marketplace demands by using such an approach.

Strategies and innovations for successful quality improvement in behavioral health.

The success of any behavioral health organization depends on its ability to respond to demands from consumers, stakeholders, and accreditation and regulatory agencies, while maintaining effective and safe treatment. The authors provide a quality improvement strategy with exemplars from practice. Readers will appreciate how planning results in accountability and yielding measurable and meaningful outcomes.

Clinical practice guidelines for treating depression in primary care.

Clinical practice guidelines for depression offer the best available treatment options as evidenced by randomized controlled clinical studies. Although the use of evidence-based guidelines has been shown to improve treatment success, there are few data to suggest the extent to which they are used or their effect on treatment outcomes. Keeping guidelines current and increasing the probability of use in daily clinical practice are critical.

The relationship between continuous quality improvement and research.

The adoption of new care processes can take years despite high-quality research findings that support the change in clinical practice. Healthcare quality professionals, with their leadership and continuous quality improvement (CQI) skills, are critical champions in accelerating and supporting the change toward evidence-based practice. Heightened attention to the relationship between CQI, research, and research utilization is vital.