HomeNewsORANGE CITY AREA HEALTH SYSTEM RECEIVES HEALTHCARE QUALITY AND SAFETY AWARD

ORANGE CITY AREA HEALTH SYSTEM RECEIVES HEALTHCARE QUALITY AND SAFETY AWARD

Medical clinic focuses on improving health outcomes The Iowa Healthcare Collaborative (IHC) presented its 2018 Healthcare Quality and Safety Awards at a statewide Patient Safety Conference on March 6 in Ankeny. Orange City Area Health System received the award for Improving Health Outcomes, and Clinic Director Steve Walhof and Clinic Nurse Manager Susan Tentinger accepted the award on behalf of their Quality Team. These awards are presented to healthcare providers and/or healthcare organizations that have demonstrated outstanding leadership and achievement in patient safety, according to IHC. The Healthcare Quality and Safety Award aims to raise the standard of healthcare in Iowa by promoting a culture of continuous improvement in quality, safety, and value. Orange City Area Health System was recognized for “Improving Health Outcomes.” The health system’s medical clinic has been participating in the Transforming Clinical Practice Initiative (TCPI) since July of 2016. One of the key focus areas of the team has been improving clinical outcomes for their diabetic population. Purchasing and implementing an Intelligent Retinal Imaging System (IRIS) to perform eye exams for diabetic patients to screen for diabetic retinopathy in 2017 has resulted in measurable early detection of an otherwise silent disease, dramatically helping to improve health outcomes for these patients by providing an opportunity to prevent diabetic blindness. Susan Tentinger, Clinic Nurse Manager, and Steve Walhof, Medical Clinic Director, accepted the IHC Quality and Safety Award at the Patient Safety Conference.

Preventing diabetic retinopathy

Today, diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of preventable blindness in the United States. You can prevent vision loss and blindness associated with diabetic retinopathy with a quick, painless, and convenient IRIS exam, conveniently performed in the Laboratory at our Orange City Family Medicine Clinic. It is important that diabetics receive annual retinal assessments for diabetic retinopathy, even if they are not experiencing problems with their vision. Most insurance plans cover this innovative procedure for their patients.