Today, HCA Midwest Health System’s Belton Regional Medical Center, Lafayette Regional Health Center, Lee’s Summit Medical Center and Menorah Medical Center were named four of the nation’s top performing hospitals on key quality measures by The Joint Commission, the nation’s leading accreditor of healthcare organizations. HCA Midwest Health System is Kansas City’s largest healthcare network and private-sector employer.
These four hospitals were recognized by The Joint Commission for exemplary performance in using evidence-based clinical processes that are shown to improve care for certain conditions, including heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia, surgical care, children’s asthma, stroke and venous thromboembolism, as well as inpatient psychiatric care. Belton Regional Medical Center, Lafayette Regional Health Center, Lee’s Summit Medical Center and Menorah Medical Center are the only Kansas or Missouri hospitals in the Kansas City area to earn this recognition.
“Excellent health care is what all patients expect and deserve. HCA Midwest Health System physicians and staff strive to care for every patient using the best evidence-based care,” says Mel Lagarde, president, HCA Midwest Health System. “We’re honored to have four hospitals included on this distinguished list, three of which are listed for the second consecutive year.”
Additionally, they are four of only 620 hospitals in the nation earning the distinction of Top Performer on Key Quality Measures for attaining and sustaining excellence in accountability measure performance in 2011. The ratings are based on an aggregation of accountability measure data reported to The Joint Commission during the 2011 calendar year. The list of Top Performers increased by 50 percent from its debut last year and represents 18 percent of accredited hospitals reporting data.
Belton Regional Medical Center is being recognized for a second consecutive year of achieving these quality thresholds for pneumonia and surgical care. Lafayette Regional Health Center is being recognized for a second consecutive year for achieving these quality thresholds for pneumonia. Lee’s Summit Medical Center is being recognized for a second consecutive year of achieving these quality thresholds for heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia and surgical care. Menorah Medical Center is being recognized in heart attack, pneumonia and surgical care.
“We understand that what matters most to patients is safe, effective care. That’s why HCA Midwest is committed to accreditation and to positive patient outcomes through evidence-based care processes,” says Darryl Nelson, MD, HCA Midwest Health System Chief Medical Officer. “This commitment is making an impact and our four hospitals are proud to be named to the list of the Joint Commission’s Top Performers on Key Quality Measures for 2011.”
Each of the hospitals that were named as a “Top Performer on Key Quality Measures” met two 95 percent (95/95) performance thresholds on 2011 accountability measure data. First, each hospital achieved performance of 95 percent or above on a single, composite score that includes all the accountability measures for which it reports data to The Joint Commission, including measures that had fewer than 30 eligible cases or patients. Second, each hospital met or exceeded 95 percent performance on every accountability measure for which it reports data to The Joint Commission, excluding any measures with fewer than 30 eligible cases or patients. A 95 percent score means a hospital provided an evidence-based practice 95 times out of 100 opportunities to provide the practice. Each accountability measure represents an evidence-based practice – for example, giving aspirin at arrival for heart attack patients, giving antibiotics one hour before surgery and providing a home management plan for children with asthma.
“When we raise the bar and provide the proper guidance and tools, hospitals have responded with excellent results,” says Mark R. Chassin, MD, FACP, MPP, MPH, president, The Joint Commission. “This capacity for continual improvement points toward a future in which quality and safety defects are dramatically reduced and high reliability is sought and achieved with regularity. Such day-to-day progress will slowly but surely transform today’s healthcare system into one that achieves unprecedented performance outcomes for the benefit of the patients.”
In addition to being included in today’s release of The Joint Commission’s “Improving America’s Hospitals” annual report, HCA Midwest’s Belton Regional Medical Center, Lafayette Regional Health Center, Lee’s Summit Medical Center and Menorah Medical Center will be recognized on The Joint Commission’s (Quality Check website). The Top Performer program will be featured in the November issue of The Joint Commission Perspectives and the October issue of The Joint Commission: The Source.