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IRON MOUNTAIN -- When it comes to health care, quality is everything.  In Michigan, 144 hospitals are working on raising their standards through an initiative called the Keystone Program.  Two years ago, the Dickinson County Health System got onboard and is seeing results in the quality of patient care.

The program works by creating checklists and initiatives that health care providers follow step-by-step to improve patient care.  Since they've started the program, DCHS has seen improvements such as the decrease in the number of cases of ventilator-associated pneumonia.

"Our rate has gone down to zero for the last eighteen months, which is tremendous for a patient that has to be ventilated to know that the risk for getting a pneumonia from that procedure is much, much reduced," said Patricia Miller, infection control specialist at the hospital.

Keystone isn't required by the Michigan Hospital Association, however, the Dickinson Hospital staff have donated their time to improve patient care.

"I think everyone embraced it," said John Schon, DCHS chief executive officer and administrator.  "I think they saw the positive outcomes and it really became something that everyone was proud of and actually showed a significant improvement in the care we provided."

So far, they have implemented the program in the intensive care unit and a hospital-associated infection initiative.  Next is a surgery initiative to eliminate surgical complications.  Though the surgical initiative is still in its infancy, an oversight team has already been created.  One of the tasks of the team will be to do a briefing before every surgery, making sure that quality initiatives are carried out.

The biggest focus will be on communication.

"Most errors that occur in an O.R. are from miscommunication, and this briefing, it will be asking the same questions prior to every surgery," said perioperative services employee, Sandy Mendini.

The hospital has already won a Keystone Quality Award for their achievements, but officials feel that there is still room to grow.