Virginia Mason Clinic

Established in 1920, Virginia Mason began as an 80-bed hospital with six physician offices. It was named after the daughters of James Tate Mason, MD, and John M. Blackford, MD, who co-founded the clinic with radiologist Maurice Dwyer, MD. The founders' vision was to provide a single place where patients could receive comprehensive medical care, a one-stop shopping place for virtually any medical problem or need. The adjacent photograph features the original staff of physician partners.

Safe care is great care. The best medical outcomes come from the safest environments. At Virginia Mason, ensuring the safest possible patient care is our most important goal. This means providing patient care that lives up to our vision of being the Quality Leader; it means patient safety is at the top of our list. Patient Safety as Our Foundation Caring for patients safely is the foundation for living up to VM's vision of becoming the Quality Leader. That means zero defects in the care that is provided and 100 percent performance on critical safety policies. Recognized for Quality Our peers have recognized our efforts. Virginia Mason Medical Center has received numerous awards for improving patient safety and quality of care. Inspiring Quality in Health Care Virginia Mason is leading improvement to health-care quality and patient safety. Working with the Institute for Health Care Improvement (IHI), Washington State Hospital Association (WSHA), Puget Sound Health Alliance and regulatory agencies, VM is improving quality of care and providing patients with the information they need to make health-care decisions. Standardized Quality Measures View Virginia Mason's performance compared with state and national averages. See how we compare to the top 10 percent of hospitals in the United States. These standardized measures are integral to improving quality of care provided to hospital patients. Independent Quality Reports Learn what sets Virginia Mason apart from other medical centers. Select, reputable agencies provide patients with independent evaluations of VM and other hospitals. Transforming Health Care Delivery In 2002, Virginia Mason embarked on an ambitious, system-wide program to change the way it delivers health care and in the process improve patient safety and quality. It did so by adopting the basic tenets of the Toyota Production System (TPS), calling it the Virginia Mason Production system, or VMPS.