The use of total quality tools allows you the ability to create a plan of improvements that are concentrated on specific problems within the business. The plan is only a road map for finding solutions to the problems that already exist, and you have to put the solutions into action. Implementing the improvements into the business can only be done by pairing the quality improvements with the needs of the customers that will give the hospital the best end product (Small business, 2015). The health care facility that I am applying to this week’s question to is Gateway Medical Center. Gateway Medical Center is a general hospital that is located in Tennessee. Gateway Medical Center has tried several different process improvements in an attempt to change the reputation that the …show more content…
Gateway launched a program that was aimed at increasing the awareness of the benefits of full-term delivery, and reducing the number of elective deliveries between 37 and 39 weeks gestation (Gateway Medical Center, 2015). The problems with delivering babies at this point of gestation is the increased risk for respiratory distress, jaundice, and hypoglycemia that could result in death before the child’s first birthday (Gateway Medical Center, 2015). With effective leadership surrounding this process improvement, the hospital has been able to reduce the number of deliveries to less than 5% for the last 6 months (Gateway Medical Center, 2015). The hospital has also become a member of the Joint Commission (Gateway Medical Center, 2015). The Joint Commission accreditation will conduct surveys to evaluate the facility’s compliance with national standards (Gateway Medical Center, 2015). These improvements can only be achieved by having strong leadership within the hospital. The executive staff of Gateway Medical Center has been able to give the employees the tools needed for process improvements, and is working towards making the community members more comfortable with their level of