The clinicians, therapists and associates at the Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine Institute (OSMI) are dedicated to excellence and commitment to continuous quality improvement. Mirroring the B.E.S.T practices initiative of our partner, Shands Healthcare, allows us to track, measure, and improve upon important external and internal quality indicators. The Academic Quality Support Agreement, or AQSA, is a list of agreed upon metrics that our clinicians and hospital believe are important indicators of quality healthcare.
These metrics are incorporated in the five pillars of B.E.S.T. practices, making our mission to provide and improve quality healthcare as complete and comprehensive as possible. Through B.E.S.T and AQSA, OSMI has the tools to define, measure, and maintain high quality in five areas: service, quality, finance, people, and growth.
The OSMI is voluntarily participating in the trial period of the Physician Quality Reporting Initiative, or PQRI. PQRI is a system, developed by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, where physicians report quality data related to services provided under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. Our physicians will report on specific quality measures that relate to orthopaedic procedures, including the timing of antibiotic prophylaxis and osteoporosis screenings. Our passion for quality healthcare has made us embrace and participate in PQRI, even though it is not yet mandatory.
The Academic Quality Support Agreement, or AQSA, is a list of agreed upon metrics that UF clinicians and Shands Healthcare believe are important indicators of quality healthcare. The clinical metrics include hip fracture / replacement mortality rates and antibiotic choices, of which OSMI pursue consistent compliance.
All we focus on is the treatment and prevention of musculoskeletal disorders. Our physicians only specialize in researching, educating and treating orthopedic conditions – the only dedicated orthopedic and physical medicine group for over 100 miles.
Efficiency is an implied result when an organization strives for quality. Through thoughtful management and commitment to patient needs, we are able to handle large patient volumes and still keep expenses manageable. Another reward of quality focused care is controlled costs while providing services for the un-insured. OSMI continues to discover innovative and successful ways to keep healthcare costs reasonable.
The University of Florida and Shands Healthcare System realize that excellent patient care begins with the employees who facilitate that care. They must be properly acknowledged, appreciated, and should feel eager about their work and content in their environment. We do this through employee engagement surveys to maintain moral and identify problem areas, recognition and rewards for employees who exhibit service excellence, and promotion and enhancement of staff diversity to make sure employees feel comfortable and enable them to identify with our diverse patient population.
Expertise and experience go hand in hand – one must have extensive practice and experience in a subject in order to become an expert. As the regions only academic institute, our experience will only make us better at our main goal: providing expert, quality patient care.
Academic healthcare settings allow physicians to be involved in the latest research and innovations that improve patient care. The OSMI, a part of the UF College of Medicine, embraces its role as an academic teaching facility and is taking steps to further supplement this position through collaboration with other health related colleges at the University. We have established partnerships with:
These alliances will bring new findings and research that improve patient care directly to our facility. Establishing this relationship means that we are always on the pulse of breakthrough discoveries the University has to offer. It is all part of our commitment to quality and continuing effort to provide the latest and most knowledgeable patient care.