Patient grievances falling as Parkland works through problems

Patient complaints and grievances at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas are dropping as the hospital winds down an exhaustive plan that addressed patient safety, treatment, governance, cleanliness and a host of other serious problems. The number of grievances and complaints has steadily dropped for the past six months, from 416 in October 2012 to 320 in March, Regina Burks, patient relations director, told the hospital's Board of Managers at a Tuesday meeting. The average time it takes the hospital to settle the grievances has fallen from 21 days to 13 days in the same period — an improvement, but still short of the federal government-levied goal of seven days, Burks said.