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For Further Information Contact:
Desiree M. Voinche
Manager, Communications and Outreach
voinched@dfmc.org
410-872-9624

Joshi, Hines published in JCAHO Journal

Easton, MD, April 13, 2006 - Delmarva Foundation President and CEO Maulik Joshi, DrPH, and Senior Scientist Steve Hines, PhD recently co-authored a journal article titled, “Getting the board on board: engaging hospital boards in quality and patient safety.” The article, published in the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations Journal on Quality and Patient Safety, focuses on the results of a study surveyed chief executive officers (CEO) and board chairpersons around the country to assess their role in quality and safety efforts.

Results of the study uncovered surprisingly low levels of knowledge with respect to quality, a disconnect between CEO perceptions of how well board chairs understood quality issues and their reported self-perceptions, and an association between board engagement and hospital performance on quality measures.

The article provides a series of strategic recommendations to close the reported gaps in knowledge as well as methods to increase the quality literacy of the board, techniques to frame an agenda for quality in regular discussions, and suggested mechanisms for planning with incentives and maintaining a patient-centered focus.

For more information about Delmarva Foundation, please visit www.delmarvafoundation.org

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About Delmarva Foundation
Delmarva Foundation is a national, not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving healthcare quality in over 20 states. Since 1973, Delmarva has assisted in improving care in hospitals, nursing homes, home health agencies, medical practices and health plans. Delmarva performs quality improvement, quality assurance, utilization review, external quality review and Program Safeguard activities. The company's corporate headquarters are located in Easton, Maryland with other offices in Baltimore, Maryland; Washington, DC; Columbia, South Carolina; Tampa, Florida; and Tallahassee, Florida. For more information, please visit Delmarva Foundation on the web at www.delmarvafoundation.org.