Striving toward continuous quality improvement: a case study of Saint Mary's Hospital

This case analysis is the result of a year-long study designed to identify and assess the ingredients that led to the successful implementation of a continuous quality improvement (CQI) program at Saint Mary's Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The key ingredients of success included: (1) an organizational structure and leadership commitment for identifying and improving processes, (2) use of data-based statistical and analytical tools to study processes, (3) empowerment of teams of employees to take charge of the operations of their own work tasks in a manner that encourages continuous learning, (4) involvement of internal and external customers through the improvement process, and (5) development of effective measures for monitoring improvement. The benefits of the CQI efforts at Saint Mary's have been remarkable and hospital-wide.