Inpatient Psychiatry Earns Hospital’s iCARE Award For Excellence In Quality

March 23, 2015 – Stony Brook University Hospital Chief Operating Officer Carol Gomes presented the hospital’s iCare award to the staff of 10 North for meeting their goal of reducing length of stay on the department’s inpatient unit. The award is presented by the hospital each month to a team which has significantly improved patient safety, quality of care or the patient experience.

A year ago, the 10 North team set a goal of reducing the average length of stay by using evidence-based practices. Reducing length of stay is important because it allows more patients to be admitted to the unit, increasing access to care and allowing for the more timely transfer of patients from the emergency room and medical/surgical floors. Discharging patients as soon as they are ready to receive care outside the hospital enables patients to receive care at the level of service that is most appropriate to their needs and reduces the cost of each admission.

In announcing the award, hospital CEO Reuven Pasternak, MD said that “the 10 North team has facilitated a greater number of admissions than in years past, increased the average daily census, reduced the length of stay to the target range and exceeded their goal related to the percentage of patients being discharged by 1pm. They have met these challenges all while continuing to see a more acute population of individuals with psychiatric and substance use disorders.”

The award was presented at the March 19, 2015 Department Head Meeting. The name of the award is based on the hospital’s values: Integrity, Compassion, Accountability, Respect and Excellence.