The vision
Executive leaders at Houston Methodist Hospital were concerned when its Vizient ranking dropped from No. 6 to No. 12 for clinical quality among comprehensive medical centers. While a relatively minor shift in ranking, its top 10 position was highly visible and an important proxy for the world-class care consistently delivered. Leaders set out to identify the root causes for the decline and set strategies for improvement.
Co-creating the solution
Leaders knew where they could improve quality, thanks to robust data. But they needed a systematic, structured approach to sustain quality improvements across clinical units. Houston Methodist partnered with Chartis to create a path forward.
Together, we stood up a new board-to-bedside alignment and accountability model, including a governance committee. We also established a unit-based team structure in which quality specialists, previously based in an office, now spend significant time working on the units. They work closely with physician and nurse leaders to facilitate local continuous quality improvement.
Believe in better
This new structure enabled Houston Methodist to address clinical care barriers in real time. Armed with data, action items, and improvement methodology, the specially trained quality specialists helped clinical teams improve processes and outcomes. This helped the organization raise its Vizient ranking to No. 4 the following year—its first time in the top five. The changes have engaged staff and enabled sustainable results.
