Community Health Plan is dedicated to ensuring quality health care among our members. As a patient, your satisfaction with the health care provided to you is important. We’ve included information on the Hospital Compare Web site and the link to visit that Web site and Consumer Hospital Safety Tips below. If you have a question about patient satisfaction, you can contact Customer Service at (816) 271-1247, option 2 or (800) 990-9247, option 2.

Hospital Compare

A new website is available to provide consumers with information to compare the quality of care provided by acute–care hospitals for adult patients. This Hospital Compare web site has information on recommended treatment measures for heart attacks, heart failure and pneumonia. Consumers may review the performance of a specific hospital with national, state and local averages relating to these conditions.

If you are a patient, or someone helping a patient with his or her health care decisions, you may speak to your health care provider about what this information means and how it can be used to make health care decisions, review the performance of hospitals in your state, and gather information about other hospitals. In addition to helping consumers make wise health care decision, this information will encourage hospitals to take steps in improving the quality and safety of the health care services they provide.

This Web site is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, together with the Hospital Quality Alliance. Visit the Hospital Compare Web site.

Consumer Hospital Safety Tips

The list below suggests steps to assist you in receiving safer health care in a hospital setting. It was developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in partnership with the American Hospital Association and the American Medical Association.

• Ask questions if you have doubts or concerns, and make sure you understand the answers.
• Keep and bring a list of ALL the medicines you take, including non–prescription medicines and nutritional supplements. Inform your health care provider if you have any drug allergies.
• Request the results of any test or procedure. Ask what the results mean for your care.
• Talk to your doctor about which hospital is best for your health needs.
• Make sure you understand what will happen if you need surgery.

Source: Five Steps to Safer Health Care. Patient Fact Sheet. July 2003. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.