recognition

Trinity Hospitals #1 In Care Measures

For almost 2 years, Trinity Hospitals has topped its North Dakota peer hospitals in a comparison of Appropriate Care Measures (ACM) for heart attack, heart failure and pneumonia care.

The analysis, prepared by North Dakota Health Care Review, Inc., It shows Trinity Hospitals scoring above its five peer hospitals in the state on 10 indicators that make up the Appropriate Care Measures.  The ACM rate is defined as “the number of patients who received all of the care for which they were eligible” for each of the three diagnoses. 

“Trinity Hospitals took the lead in mid 2004 and has held it through nearly each reporting period since,” notes Alyce Killmer, Director of Quality Improvement.  “The consistency of the data and the fact that our scores have been steadily rising for the last year demonstrates the commitment of staff to incorporate evidence based care into our processes.”

The ACMs are evidence-based care built on scientific research that shows when specific care practices are provided to patients on a consistent basis, positive outcomes are the result.  The 10 measures are required under Medicare for full payment under the “pay for performance” program administered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

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Heart Program Earns Recognition

Trinity Hospitals has been awarded two Quality Performance certificates in recognition of excellence in treating patients with heart attack and heart failure, two common medical conditions.

The certificates were presented by North Dakota Health Care Review, Inc., based on quality performance data submitted to the federal government’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).  Criteria included meeting or exceeding national benchmarks (rates achieved by the top 10% of hospitals nationwide) for at least two-thirds of the quality measures. 

These certificates demonstrates our organization’s performance on the CMS core measures as providing excellent patient care in the treatment of acute myocardial infarction (heart attack) and heart failure.

Starting last April, the CMS website www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov has provided the public with apples-to-apples comparisons of quality data from hospitals across the United States.  In a statewide comparison, Trinity Hospitals exceeds the state average in the overall reported measure for heart attack, heart failure and pneumonia.

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Trinity Hospitals Tops N. D. In Quality Measures

A report by the state’s leading watchdog on hospital quality shows Trinity Hospitals outpaced its peers on a set of care practices designed to improve hospital quality nationwide. 

The report, based on data submitted to Medicare for the second quarter of 2005, was compiled by North Dakota Health Care Review, Inc., the state’s Quality Improvement Organization for Medicare.  It summarizes the performance of North Dakota hospitals on 10 Appropriate Care Measures, each designed to improve the treatment of patients with heart attack, heart failure or pneumonia. 

In compiling its report, NDHCRI looked at the number of patients eligible for the Appropriate Care Measures and the number of patients who received all of the care for which they were eligible.  Plotted on a graph, it shows that patients at Trinity Hospitals were more likely to receive the care for which they were eligible compared to Trinity’s peer hospitals across the state. 

“This is a tremendous achievement,” says Trinity President/CEO Terry Hoff.  “It recognizes the excellent work of our physicians and staff and reflects Trinity’s commitment to provide the highest quality care possible for the people of our region.”

The Appropriate Care Measures initiative challenges hospitals across the country to provide “evidence-based care,” care predicated on scientific research which shows that specific care practices provided to patients on a consistent basis will improve outcomes.  The care measures range from giving aspirin to heart attack patients to vaccinating pneumonia patients against the pneumoccocal bacteria.  The program is considered by many to be the definitive system for comparing hospital performance, as the comparisons are based on healthcare quality data, not billing data, as is the case with some hospital “report cards.”  In addition, each hospital collects the same data using the same process, which results in an apples-to-apples comparison. 

"Of course we want to score well in comparison to our peers,” noted Dr. Jeffrey Verhey, Chief of Medical Staff for Trinity Hospitals.  “But the bottom line of these indicators isn’t whether we score above other hospitals, it’s the knowledge that our families, friends and neighbors are receiving the best possible care,”

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