Our Quality and Safety Program promotes care that is free from harm, achieves the best possible clinical results and is delivered promptly with compassion.
It starts with our Quality and Patient Safety Plan that prioritizes the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center’s quality and safety initiatives to ensure that patient care is:
- Safe – Preventing injuries and avoiding harm to patients and staff.
- Timely – Reducing waits and avoiding delays for both those who receive and give care.
- Effective – Providing evidence-based care.
- Efficient – Avoiding waste, including waste of equipment, supplies and staff resources.
- Equitable – Providing care that does not vary in quality because of personal characteristics such as gender, ethnicity, geographic location and socioeconomic status.
- Patient-Centered – Providing care that is respectful of, and responsive to, individual patient preferences, needs, and values – allowing patients to be true partners in their care.
We foster a culture of "best practices," to ensure optimal patient care in the safest environment, using the expertise and innovative ideas of all our team members. We are continuously analyzing data and care protocols and processes to prevent and reduce infections, and we use technology and ongoing education to provide the best quality care for patients.
News
Reducing CAUTIs through teamwork and prevention
Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) occur when bacteria or other germs enter a patient’s urinary catheter, leading to infection. These infections are not only serious but also among the most common hospital-acquired infections. Preventing them requires a team effort—from healthcare workers to patients and families.
At Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, nurses, providers, infection preventionists, and the Quality and Safety team joined forces to tackle this challenge. Through interdisciplinary rounding and consistent reinforcement of CAUTI prevention bundle elements, the team achieved remarkable results.
From December 2024 to March 2025, PSHMC reported only one CAUTI. Over the full measurement period (April 2024 to March 2025), the team reduced CAUTI cases by 19% and lowered the Standardized Infection Ratio (SIR) by 4%, compared to the baseline period of April 2023 to March 2024.
These outcomes highlight the power of collaboration and a shared commitment to patient safety.
Milton S. Hershey Medical Center Honored with PA PQC Gold Designation Awards
Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center was recognized with Gold Designation Awards by the Pennsylvania Perinatal Quality Collaborative (PA PQC)
These prestigious designations reflect the medical center’s commitment to improving maternal and newborn care through multidisciplinary collaboration, data sharing, and the implementation of best practices both within the hospital and the broader community.
These awards recognize our commitment to improving maternal and newborn care through teamwork, data-driven practices, and a focus on health equity.
Hospitals were eligible to receive designations for their active participation in PA PQC’s 2023–2024 initiatives, which included:
- Immediate Postpartum Long-Acting Reversible Contraception (IPLARC)
- Substance Use Disorders (SUD)
- Substance Exposed Newborns (SEN)
Milton S. Hershey Medical Center earned Gold Designations for its outstanding work in the areas of Substance Use Disorder (SUD) and Substance Exposed Newborn (SEN). A Gold Designation signifies a hospital’s demonstrated commitment to health equity and patient-centered quality improvement.
Designation levels were awarded based on hospitals meeting key quality improvement milestones over a 12-month period, from April 2023 through March 2024.