High-Quality Health Care
Mercy is dedicated to providing the highest quality care in the safest environment and to a guiding principle of constant improvement. Our foundress, Catherine McAuley, instructed us to “Strive to be good today and better tomorrow.” This sentiment not only inspires how we serve but mandates that we continually improve our care of patients and their families. We invite you to review our most recent report on Mercy’s quality and patient safety progress. In addition, highlights of our focus on quality and safety are provided below.
Quality of Care
Pathways to improved care, less time in the hospital and healthier lives.
Providing quality care is our highest priority. To ensure patients get the best possible care, we use 40 clinical pathways. These are operating instructions that help us improve care and release patients more quickly with better outcomes and lower rates of hospital readmission. These pathways are in use across the entire Mercy system and affect over 100,000 patients every year.
"As my father became deathly sick, [his nurses] discussed the best care for my father; I could see and hear the love and compassion these two had for their patients. Even when the shift was over, [one nurse] remained with [the other nurse] and made sure he knew all about my dad and his needs. They both were not just a comfort to my dad; they were a huge comfort to my sister and I as well."
Patient Safety
Your safety is central to our mission.
We’re dedicated to making our clinics, hospitals and other facilities the safest place for a patient to be. Our system-wide safety guidelines decrease the rate of infection, accidents and other threats to our patients’ well-being.
"I tend to pay attention to the little things to assess the culture of an organization. For me, having a clean and safe environment is key in my assessment. Each member of the staff was consistent in ensuring they performed proper hand hygiene so when it came time for my child’s delivery, I could be confident in holding a healthy baby in my arms."
Patient Experience
Your experience matters to us.
Protecting your health and improving your quality of life is why we exist. Caring for you is a privilege; we’re honored that you chose Mercy for your health care. Making sure that you have a positive experience at Mercy is central to our mission. By including patients on our advisory boards, we give them a voice in how we operate. Their experiences, views and opinions become part of Mercy’s ongoing improvement efforts.
"Meeting our doctor has changed my son's life. We haven't even done treatment for very long and his skin is already the best that is has been since he was born. The doctor listened to us, and knew right away what he needed to do to begin to help us. We are talking some serious prayers have been answered. Even his staff and clerks were so kind and amazing."
Hospital Ratings
We use two different rubrics – the CMS and Leapfrog rating systems – to measure our current performance and guide our ongoing efforts to “be better tomorrow.” Please note that while both Leapfrog and CMS ratings measure a hospital’s quality indicators, they measure different criteria. Thus, a Leapfrog “A” rating doesn’t automatically equate to a CMS “5” rating.
Mercy Hospitals: Quick Facts
