Improving health outcomes
How quickly and completely do patients recover from illnesses and injuries? Do they experience complications? Do they
stay well after returning home? In a recent benchmarking analysis of 19 large U.S. health systems, Advocate ranked
first for health outcomes. Many national organizations have recognized Advocate’s hospitals as among the best in the
nation. Donors play an important role in ensuring excellent patient care by helping fund specialized training programs
for caregivers, state-of-the-art technology and patient-education materials, among other resources.
Diagnosed in 2012 with heart
failure caused by a congenital
heart defect he didn’t know he
had, Advocate Trinity Hospital
physician Harley Brooks, MD,
underwent a lifesaving heart
transplant at Advocate Christ
Medical Center, known nationally
as a top destination for cardiology
and cardiac surgery. In November
2013 Dr. Brooks marked the first
anniversary of his transplant and
his eighth negative biopsy in a
row—decreasing the chances of
long-term rejection. “I could not
have had my heart transplant at a
better facility,” he says. “My new
heart gave me a new life, and
this new life is better than I could
have imagined!”
Equipping clinicians to perform at peak
effectiveness
State-of-the-art equipment maximizes caregivers’
effectiveness, whether used to build their skills or to guide
their actions. Philanthropic gifts have funded high-tech
birthing and neonatal simulators that prepare caregivers
to respond confidently and competently in obstetric
emergencies. Six Advocate hospitals now have their own
Noelle ® and Hal® —a full-size, computerized female mannequin
with baby—most recently Advocate BroMenn Medical Center,
thanks to a $50,000 individual gift. Also with the support of
philanthropic gifts, Advocate South Suburban Hospital made
a $212,000 investment in a leading-edge electrophysiology
navigation system. Carto ® provides real-time visualization
during cardiology procedures, minimizing radiation exposure
and increasing accuracy.
Putting extra eyes on ICU patients
Ten years ago Advocate Health Care was the first in the
Midwest to invest in technology that has revolutionized how
intensive care unit patients are monitored and managed. The
eICU is a central monitoring system that allows doctors and
nurses to use video, audio and smart technology to track
$50,000
5
per-unit cost
of donor-funded
birthing simulators
12
the conditions of gravely ill patients around the clock. Upon
spotting emergencies, the monitoring team alerts on-site
ICU staff to intervene with unprecedented, life-saving speed.
Philanthropic gifts help cover the costs of daily operations
and system enhancements—$80,000 in 2013—and also of
bringing new eICU beds online; 42 beds will be added next
year for a total of 284.
Ensuring excellence in nursing care
Nothing has a greater impact on inpatients’ health outcomes
than the quality of nursing care they receive. Eight Advocate
hospitals are among the only 7 percent of U.S. hospitals
that have achieved the prestigious Magnet ® designation;
the remaining four have embarked on the Magnet journey
for nursing excellence, which requires nurses to conduct a
rigorous assessment of patient outcomes affected by nursing
practices and implement evidence-based plans to improve
care. Philanthropy has covered associated costs including
application fees, on-site appraisals and research time for
nurses. Advocate Trinity Hospital’s 2013 gala raised nearly
$120,000 to invest in its Magnet initiative. And charitable
giving enabled 25 Good Shepherd Hospital nurses to attend
an educational Magnet conference this past year.
Advocate Hospitals
achieved or on track for
Magnet® statu s
24/7
electronic monitoring
of ICU patients