Archive for category Findings

Superior Quality Merit Award recognizes 75 hospitals nationwide

NASHVILLE, Tenn. ‐ Data Advantage, LLC announced today 75 hospitals receiving a Best in Value™: Superior Quality Merit Award from the 2009‐2010 Hospital Value Index™ the first and only national study on U.S. hospitals and the value of care they provide.

The 2009‐2010 Hospital Value Index™is an independent analysis of each hospital’s performance in the categories of: quality, affordability & efficiency and patient satisfaction. Out of the more than 4,500 hospitals that were analyzed, 75 received the Superior Quality Merit Award for achieving high marks in the quality category.

“This group of hospitals has a proven ability to deliver high quality care, a key element in providing overall value to their communities,” said Hal Andrews, CEO of Data Advantage. “Our study suggests that hospitals that achieve outstanding scores in the area of quality will be rewarded in the new world of Value‐Based Purchasing, so each of these hospitals is off to a good start.”

The quality category is analyzed using data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Core Measures, AHRQ Patient Safety Indicators, CMS 30‐day mortality scores and CMS reported hospital readmission rates. In order to receive the award, hospitals were first considered as Best in Value™ or in the top 25 percent of all hospitals in the study. The top 10 percent of this group were then ranked in the quality category in order to receive the Superior Quality Merit Award.

“The Hospital Value Index™ study found that all hospitals recognized as Best in Value™ improved their quality scores by an average of 8.14% since March 2009, while those that were not recognized as Best in Value™ saw a drop in quality by 1.1% during the same term,” said John Morrow, a founder of the Hospital Value Index™ study.

“Quality continues to improve in high value hospitals, and these Merit Award recipients are being recognized for their exceptional quality performance,” Morrow added.

In alphabetical order, the Superior Quality Merit Award recipients from the 2009‐2010 Hospital Value Index™study are:

• Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital (Downers Grove, IL)
• Alegent Health Immanuel Medical Center (Omaha, NE)
• Alegent Health Lakeside Hospital (Omaha, NE)
• Alegent Health Mercy Hospital (Council Bluffs, IA)
• Alegent Health Midlands Hospital (Papillion, NE)
• Arnot Ogden Medical Center (Elmira, NY)
• Aurora Baycare Medical Center (Green Bay, WI)
• Ball Memorial Hospital (Muncie, IN)
• Baylor Medical Center at Irving (Irving, TX)
• Berger Hospital (Circleville, OH)
• Berkshire Medical Center (Pittsfield, MA)
• Bon Secours-Memorial Regional Medical (Mechanicsville, VA)
• Carolinas Medical Center‐University (Charlotte, NC)
• Centra Health (Lynchburg, VA)
• Clara Maass Medical Center (Belleville, NJ)
• Cleveland Clinic Florida (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
• Community Medical Center (Toms River, NJ)
• Cullman Regional Medical Center (Cullman, AL)
• Delray Medical Center (Delray Beach, FL)
• Evanston Hospital (Evanston, IL)
• Flowers Hospital (Dothan, AL)
• Forsyth Memorial Hospital (Winston
• Fort Madison Community Hospital (Fort Madison, IA)
• Fremont Area Medical Center (Fremont, NE)
• Gaston Memorial Hospital (Gastonia, NC)
• Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center (West Islip, NY)
• Goshen General Hospital (Goshen, IN)
• Hackensack University Medical Center (Hackensack, NJ)
• Hackettstown Regional Medical Center (Hackettstown, NJ)
• Harlingen Medical Center (Harlingen, TX)
• Heartland Regional Medical Center (Saint Joseph, MO)
• Holland Community Hospital (Holland, MI)
• Holy Name Hospital (Teaneck, NJ)
• Huntington Beach Hospital (Huntington Beach, CA)
• Integris Mayes County Medical Center (Pryor, OK)
• Jackson Purchase Medical Center (Mayfield, KY)
• Kettering Medical Center (Dayton, OH)
• Kettering Medical Center‐Sycamore (Miamisburg, OH)
• Kingwood Medical Center (Kingwood, TX)
• La Palma Intercommunity Hospital (La Palma, CA)
• Main Line Hospital Bryn Mawr Campus (Bryn Mawr, PA)
• Mariners Hospital (Tavernier, FL)
• Meadowview Regional Medical Center (Maysville, KY)
• Memorial Hospital Pembroke (Hollywood, FL)
• Memorial Regional Hospital (Hollywood, FL)
• Mercy Medical Center‐Dubuque (Dubuque, IA)
• Mercy San Juan Medical Center (Carmichael, CA)
• Minden Medical Center (Minden, LA)
• Moberly Regional Medical Center (Moberly, MO)
• Munson Medical Center (Traverse City, MI)
• Newport Hospital (Newport, RI)
• North Ottawa Community Hospital (Grand Haven, MI)
• Oklahoma Heart Hospital (Oklahoma City, OK)
• Owatonna Hospital (Owatonna, MN)
• Parkway Medical Center (Decatur, AL)
• Peninsula Medical Center (Burlingame, CA)
• Presbyterian Hospital (Charlotte, NC)
• Presbyterian Hospital Huntersville (Huntersville, NC)
• Reid Hospital and Health Care Services (Richmond, IN)
• Saint Joseph Hospital London (London, KY)
• Saint Joseph Mercy Saline Hospital (Saline, MI)
• St. Charles Hospital (Port Jefferson, NY)
• St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center (Sioux City, IA)
• St. Mary’s Health Center (Jefferson City, MO)
• Summa Health System Barberton Hospital (Barberton, OH)
• Sutter Roseville Medical Center (Roseville, CA)
• Tawas St. Joseph Hospital (Tawas City, MI)
• Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Cleburne (Cleburne, TX)
• United Hospital Center (Clarksburg , WV)
• Vassar Brothers Medical Center (Poughkeepsie, NY)
• Venice Regional Medical Center (Venice, FL)
• Walker Baptist Medical Center (Jasper, AL)
• Walla Walla General Hospital (Walla Walla, WA)
• West Anaheim Medical Center (Anaheim, CA)
• Williamsport Hospital and Medical Center (Williamsport, PA)

For more information on the Voices of Value™and the Best in Value™hospitals, please visit www.HospitalValueIndex.com.

About Data Advantage, LLC

Data Advantage, LLC is a privately held healthcare information company that specializes in providing hospitals and other healthcare ‐related businesses with independent and objective business intelligence. The company has aggregated and compiled a warehouse of the most insightful information about healthcare utilization and maintains comprehensive benchmarks about the financial, operational and clinical performance of the U.S. hospital industry. For more information, visit www.data‐advantage.com or call 866‐996‐3282.

NEW STUDY OF BEST IN VALUE™ HOSPITALS HIGHLIGHTS POTENTIAL SAVINGS OF $600B OVER 10 YEARS

Hospital Value Index™ reveals 747 hospitals leading the way in delivering affordable, quality care  

Top Findings: America’s best hospital value often found in smaller towns, Midwest states

The 2009‐2010 Hospital Value Index™ ranked hospitals by an independent analysis of each hospital’s quality, affordability, efficiency and patient satisfaction performance. Out of the more than 4,500 hospitals that were analyzed, 747 were identified as providing the Best in Value™ care.

Key findings in the Hospital Value Index™ include:

• The highest value hospital care is often provided by community‐based hospitals, suggesting that consumers may find high value close to home and that policymakers should expand their search for models of reform beyond “name‐brand” teaching hospitals.

• If all hospitals in the U.S. performed at the average benchmark for the Best in Value™ hospitals, 9.3% of costs, or approximately $60B, could be eliminated from annual hospital spending on an all‐payer basis.

• The highest ranked hospitals in the study are geographically diverse, with the top 10 hospitals located in Dothan, AL; Minden, LA; Tawas City, MI; Clarksburg, WV; Gastonia, NC; Maysville, KY; Elmira, NY; Mechanicsville, VA; Holland, MI; and Winston‐Salem, NC.

• Of the 100 largest metropolitan areas in the U.S., the highest ranked markets are Charlotte, NC, Rochester, NY, Grand Rapids, MI, Pittsburgh, PA and Knoxville, TN. Markets with a population of less than 2,000,000 outperformed markets with a population of more than 2,000,000.

• There was no appreciable difference in performance between teaching hospitals and nonteaching hospitals.

• The study found that the top five states with hospitals delivering high value are North Dakota, Iowa, Montana, South Dakota, and Maine. The bottom five states for finding hospitals providing high value care are New Mexico, Arkansas, California, Hawaii and Nevada.

• The study found the gaps in hospital value can be dramatic. In one example, the study found the cost for the same medical procedure provided with the same quality of care at hospitals less than two miles apart can be more than $10,000.

The full findings of the study – and market by market rankings of hospital value performance – areavailable to the public for free at www.HospitalValueIndex.com.

Health reform

“As legislators consider health reform and as consumers shoulder an increasing burden of the cost of healthcare, it is important to recognize and reward those hospitals that deliver outstanding value,” said John Morrow, a senior advisor to Data Advantage.

“Healthcare consumers are increasingly making decisions based on value including quality, patient satisfaction and affordability. Hospitals providing the best value will ultimately be rewarded with more business.”

One of the prominent initiatives in health reform is Value‐Based Purchasing, which the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) first recommended in November 2007. According to CMS, Value‐Based Purchasing will “drive improvements in clinical quality, patient‐centeredness and efficiency” in hospitals.

“The Hospital Value Index™ is the first‐ever and only benchmark to analyze these components to help hospitals understand their value proposition,” said Hal Andrews, CEO of Data Advantage. “In Value‐Based Purchasing, hospitals will likely be reimbursed based on the overall value that they deliver, and it is essential for hospitals to understand the areas in which improvements are needed. Regardless of the ultimate scope of reform, it is clear that the future of the American economy depends upon value becoming the key determinant in purchasing healthcare.”

The Hospital Value Index™ defines a hospital’s “value” by its success in four critical areas:
Quality, including CMS’s Core Measures, patient safety, mortality and readmission rates;
• Efficiency, including the relative measure of the cost to the hospital for providing services;
• Affordability, a relative comparison of prices charged for inpatient and outpatient services, including what hospitals ultimately collect; and
• Patient satisfaction as measured by HCAHPS.
 

Study summit
In the study, Data Advantage found many hospitals in every state that are providing exceptional value in an increasingly demanding environment. The Best in Value™ hospitals are urban and rural; teaching and non‐teaching; for‐profit and not‐for‐profit.

“Now, more than ever, it is important to identify those hospitals that have achieved excellent results,” said Morrow. “These hospitals are the models for success under health reform.”
In order to discover the keys to delivering high value, Data Advantage will host the Voices of Value™ Summit in December, where Hospital Value Index™ leaders will discuss and share best practices in achieving and providing value in this new era.

Data Advantage will reveal more details on the Voices of Value ™ Summit in the coming weeks, and additional comments from the Voices of Value™ participants can be found below.

About Data Advantage, LLC
Data Advantage, LLC is a privately held healthcare information company that specializes in providing hospitals and other healthcare‐related businesses with independent and objective business intelligence. The company has aggregated and compiled a warehouse of the most insightful information about healthcare utilization and maintains comprehensive benchmarks about the financial, operational and clinical performance of the U.S. hospital industry. For more information, visit www.data‐advantage.com
or call 866‐996‐3282.

Voices of Value™
(full quotes are available at www.HospitalValueIndex.com)
“The HCA TriStar Health System is honored to be named among the ‘best value’ health systems in America. Our ranking is a reflection of the hard work and dedication of our staff and physicians, and our continued focus on efficiency, effectiveness, and quality outcomes.”
Larry Kloess, President
HCA TriStar Health System (Nashville, Tennessee)

 
“Our leadership team and staff continue to look at the way we operate our hospital in order to provide improved value, quality and service to our community. We are excited about sharing our strategies, as well as learning new practices from hospitals at the Voices of Value™ summit.”
Lloyd Ford Jr., PhD, FACHE, President and CEO
Jefferson Regional Medical Center (Festus, Missouri)

“Billings Clinic appreciates the recognition as a leader in value from Data Advantage. We are strong believers in the importance of providing quality care at an optimal cost in our current health care environment and to prepare for future changes in health care.”
Nicholas Wolter, MD, CEO
Billings Clinic (Billings, Montana)

 
“Parkway is honored to be named a Top 100™ Hospital. We strive to be a leader in offering outstanding ‐ high value ‐ care for our community. At Parkway, patients can expect to be treated always with compassion and professionalism and to have access to the latest medical expertise and advanced technology. It is this combination that positions us well for the future.”
Tim McGill, CEO
Parkway Medical Center (Decatur, Alabama)

 
“Zeeland Community Hospital is honored to receive the Best in Value™ Award. The award is an affirmation of our most sincere efforts to meet the needs of our community and exceed their expectations in terms of quality, efficiency and compassionate care.”
Henry A. Veenstra, President
Zeeland Community Hospital (Zeeland, Michigan)

 
“I am pleased that Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester, Massachusetts has been recognized as one of the Top 100™ hospitals in the country in terms of the ‘value’ it provides. If health reform is to be successful at the state and federal levels, hospitals like Saint Vincent that provide the highest level of quality care at reasonable costs will lead the way.”
Joseph J Mullany, President
Vanguard Health System, New England & Chicago Market

 
“This achievement is truly a team effort combining the efforts of our Board, medical staff, employees, and community creating a quality health care system. St. Anthony is proud to be recognized by this award and will continue to make a caring difference every day. ”
Gary Riedmann, President
St. Anthony Regional Hospital & Nursing Home (Carroll, Iowa)

 
“Holy Name Hospital is honored to be ranked among the top hospitals in the country for quality, efficiency, affordability and patient satisfaction. The Best in Value™ award is distinguished by its use of published data from objective, third‐party sources. The value index isn’t anecdotal or subjective; it’s culled from a wide variety of nationally‐recognized standards, measures and indicators, and I think that’s what makes this recognition especially meaningful. One of the key tenets of our mission is stewardship, and that’s being recognized here. I am continually impressed by the way our entire team of employees, nurses and physicians comes together in a process that creates value, engendering excellence on every
level.”
Michael Maron, President/CEO
Holy Name Hospital (Teaneck, New Jersey)

 
“The Best in Value™ Award recognition is a testament to the great care provided at Berger Hospital. We consistently hold ourselves accountable to deliver high‐quality, cost effective healthcare, and this third party review helps to validate our success.”
Tim Colburn, CEO
Berger Hospital (Circleville, Ohio)

 
“At a time when the nation is focused on providing both high quality and affordable healthcare, it’s great to earn national recognition for doing just that. Consumer education is increasingly more important when making healthcare decisions. This study from an independent source verifies the value we provide our patients.”
Rosemari Davis, CEO
Willamette Valley Medical Center (McMinnville, Oregon)

“I am very pleased that we, as a team, have been recognized with this award. Our people make the difference. They are passionate, caring and down‐to earth. Whether it’s a physician, nurse, therapist or the person who works in the lab or in dietary, people make an institution great. Certainly in healthcare that’s true. Over the last 20 years this organization has done a great job of creating the infrastructure of an integrated system, which is ideally suited to successfully face challenges in health care. Our focus is entirely patient centered and we benchmark against the best of the best to constantly improve the quality care and value we are able to offer our patients.”
Mark Laney, President and CEO
Heartland Health (Saint Joseph, Missouri)

 
“Earning this recognition demonstrates our commitment to excellence from every part of our organization – physicians, employees, volunteers, managers and our Board of Directors.”
Edward J. Roth III, President and CEO
Aultman Hospital (Canton, Ohio)

 
“There is no way to really reform health care without transparency, consistent metrics and full understanding of value for money. The Hospital Value Index™ is one of the fundamental building blocks for reform that results in an accountable system and a model for engaging physicians and patients in ways that can make a real difference.”
Jonathan T. Lord, CEO
Navigenics