TMF Health Quality Institute credits close communication with physicians as key to reducing acute care hospitalization

Otto Kaiser Memorial Hospital’s home health department has something to brag about after being named the fifth best home health department in the state at reducing acute care hospitalization of patients.

The finding comes after Kaiser Home Health’s year-long participation in a state wide collaborative program with the TMF Health Quality Institute.

"The staff at Kaiser Home Health have been working diligently to provide top rated care right here in Karnes county. This report is a reflection of dedication the Kaiser Home Health Staff have for quality care to their patients," Kaiser Home Health Director Pat Garcez said.

The accomplishment was earned through Kaiser Home Health’s commitment to staying in touch with patients’ physicians.

Looking for potential problems that could lead to hospitalization later, home health workers alerted physicians straight away when any health issue was noticed. As a result, health issues were addressed in a preventative fashion before they became problematic enough to lead to patient hospitalization.

As a result, Garcez noted that local physicians deserve just as much credit for the commendation as the home health nurses do.

"Our goal is to keep our patients home and out of the hospital," Garcez said. "Dr. (Joel) Saldana, Dr. (Roberto) Ramirez, and Dr. (Gerry) DeSequera have a great team concept when it comes to the care of their home health patients. We would not be able to care for our patients or be state ranked with out the local physicians support."

The award is the second in two years the state has issued to Kaiser Home Health. Last year, they were recognized for improvement in oral medication management.