One of the fundamental functions of health care policy is to improve  the overall quality of care that is delivered in hospitals and long-term  care facilities. Assuring that every institution and individual health  care provider offers the best possible care can be a challenge, as the  definition of “quality” can vary greatly among regions, facilities, and  providers.

In 2001, the Committee on Quality of Health Care in America at the Institute of Medicine released its landmark report Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century.  (US Institute of Medicine, 2001). The report called for nothing less  than a complete overhaul of the health care delivery system in the  United States.

Four major areas of health care delivery were  identified and reviewed: the patient experience; the functioning of  health care delivery teams; the functioning of the larger organizations  within which the health care delivery teams operate; and the environment  in which the organizations operate.

Several organizations have attempted to help better  understand the “quality chasm” by developing tools for assessing the  relative quality of institutions and their services. These tools are  built on standards of care and performance benchmarks allowing for a  balanced comparison across facilities and regions.

To prepare for this Application,  select an organization that compares acute and long-term care facilities  from the list provided. Then, select at least two hospitals or  long-term care facilities in your own region to compare. (MY Region is HOUSTON, TEXAS)

o complete this Application, write a 3- to 4-page paper that addresses the following:

• Select at least two hospitals or long-term care  facilities in your own region. Identify and describe the facilities that  you selected, including: the type of facility, the locations, the size  (number of beds), the facilities’ affiliation (independent or part of a  health system), and the facilities’ area of specialty (if any).
• Select four indicators (also known as “measures”)  from one or more of the websites provided in the Learning Resources that  pertain to the facilities you selected above. Define those four  indicators (for example: pressure sores or bed sores acquired in the  hospital). Compare and contrast those indicators for the facilities you  have selected.
• Make an argument for the facility you would choose,  if you or a family member needed care from a facility. Be sure to  clearly explain the reasons for your choice.

Your written assignments must follow APA guidelines. Be  sure to support your work with specific citations from this week’s  Learning Resources and additional scholarly sources, as appropriate.  Refer to the Essential Guide to APA Style.

Resources (NOTE: you can as well find addtional scholar articles)

1. https://www.healthgrades.com/

2.https://www.medicare.gov/hospitalcompare/search.html?

3.http://www.leapfroggroup.org/

4.http://www.ucomparehealthcare.com/