October 5, 2009
Contact: Bonnie Zimmerman
Director, Marketing and Physician Services
Florida Hospital Waterman
1000 Waterman Way
Tavares, FL 32778
(352) 253-3442
For Immediate Release
Florida Hospital Waterman Goes Transparent
Tavares, Fla.: Florida Hospital Waterman is the only hospital in Lake County to display current quality of care results on its web site. This means that the latest results on infection rates, mortality rates or what patients are saying about the quality of care they received during a recent hospital stay are now available for the public to view.
“Quality is a priority for Florida Hospital Waterman, and we want the community to quickly and effectively see how we are doing,” says Ken Mattison, President and Chief Executive Officer. “Transparency is expected to make dramatic improvements in the ever-changing world of health care. Florida Hospital Waterman is committed to adapt to change and meet the emotional, spiritual and physical needs of our patients.”
Currently, people can visit third-party Web sites such as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA), and Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAPS) to review hospital data. However, the information can be six to twelve months old and difficult to find. Now, patients will have easy access to more current data found at www.fhwat.org.
“It’s important for patients to have up-to-date quality of care information as they make decisions about their medical care. We want to partner with our community to continue to raise the level of health care in our area,” says Karen Shaffer, Director of Quality. “We all have the right to question and the right to become informed. This will help all of us make better choices during a health crisis.”
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