[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 149 (Wednesday, October 23, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1566]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              CELEBRATING NATIONAL HEALTHCARE QUALITY WEEK

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                       HON. JANICE D. SCHAKOWSKY

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 23, 2013

  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the nation's 
healthcare quality and patient safety professionals who work every day 
to ensure that our health system delivers high quality, cost-effective 
and safe care. During National Healthcare Quality Week, October 20 
through 26, healthcare facilities nationwide celebrate the efforts of 
those professionals to improve health care. Healthcare quality and 
patient safety professionals make a positive contribution to our care 
by monitoring clinical processes and outcomes, analyzing data to 
improve systems, and helping to integrate new, evidence-based 
practices.
  I am proud to note that their professional organization, the National 
Association for Healthcare Quality, NAHQ, is headquartered in Chicago, 
Illinois and is in my district. Its 5,400 individual members and 100 
institutional members bring expertise to healthcare quality in all 
settings and specialty areas. They are the on-the-ground professionals 
who are helping healthcare facilities meet Obamacare's focus on 
improving quality care while reducing costs.
  Quality professionals address many issues in the healthcare 
workplace, including ensuring that a patient's medications are 
reconciled, healthcare-associated infections are prevented, and the 
quality of care is continually improved. They strive to assure that the 
progress their facility makes on these and many other issues are 
reported in an accurate and transparent manner.
  I applaud our health professionals whose job is to ensure that 
patients receive safe and quality health care and urge my colleagues to 
do the same.

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