Thomson Reuters Announces 100 Top Hospitals Award Winners

  • Author: Health Informer
  • Filed under: Health News
  • Date: Mar 30,2009

Company also Introduces Everest Award for Hospitals with Fastest Improvement and Top Performance

The Healthcare business of Thomson Reuters today released its annual study identifying the 100 top U.S. hospitals based on their overall organizational performance.

The Thomson Reuters 100 Top Hospitals(R): National Benchmarks study is based on the 100 Top Hospitals National Balanced Scorecard that evaluates performance in nine areas: mortality, medical complications, patient safety, average length of stay, expenses, profitability, cash-to-debt ratio, patient satisfaction, and adherence to clinical standards of care. The study has been conducted annually since 1993.

“The 100 Top Hospitals winners raised the bar again this year, delivering a higher level of reliable care and greater value for their communities and payers,” said Jean Chenoweth, senior vice president for performance improvement and 100 Top Hospitals programs at Thomson Reuters.

Thomson Reuters also is launching the 100 Top Hospitals: Everest Award for National Benchmarks to recognize those hospitals among the 100 winners that delivered the greatest rate of improvement over a five-year period. This marks the first time the 100 Top Hospitals national benchmarks have been integrated with data reflecting long-term performance trends to identify the top-performing hospitals that are improving at the fastest rate. This year, there are 23 Everest award winners.

“Integration of national benchmarks for improvement and top performance is an innovation that enables Thomson Reuters to identify those hospitals with a mature culture of performance improvement,” Chenoweth said. “The ability to objectively gauge where a hospital stands in its journey to excellence is a breakthrough in the measurement of leadership effectiveness, the success of organizational improvement strategies, and the impact of executive decisions.”

“The boards, executives and physician leaders of the Everest award-winning hospitals developed long-term strategies and executed them with extraordinary skill and extraordinary results,” she said. “The Everest award winners have reached the point at which innovation is a must to improve further.”

To conduct the 100 Top Hospitals study, Thomson Reuters researchers evaluated 3,000 short-term, acute care, non-federal hospitals. They used public information — Medicare cost reports, Medicare Provider Analysis and Review (MedPAR) data, and core measures and patient satisfaction data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Compare data set.

If all Medicare inpatients received the same level of care as patients treated in the winning hospitals:

  • More than 107,500 additional patients would survive each year.
  • Nearly 132,000 patient complications would be avoided annually.
  • Expenses would decline by $5.9 billion a year.
  • The average patient stay would decrease by nearly half a day.

Here are the winning hospitals, by category:

Major Teaching Hospitals
St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center — Phoenix, AZ
University Medical Center –Tucson, AZ
Northwestern Memorial Hospital — Chicago, IL
NorthShore University HealthSystem — Evanston, IL
Advocate Lutheran General Hospital — Park Ridge, IL
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center — Boston, MA
University of Michigan Hospitals & Health Centers — Ann Arbor, MI
Providence Hospital and Medical Center — Southfield, MI
Mayo Clinic – Saint Marys Hospital — Rochester, MN
Duke University Hospital — Durham, NC
University Hospitals Case Medical Center — Cleveland, OH
The Western Pennsylvania Hospital — Pittsburgh, PA
Vanderbilt University Medical Center — Nashville, TN
Scott and White Memorial Hospital — Temple, TX
University of Virginia Medical Center — Charlottesville, VA

Teaching Hospitals
Rose Medical Center — Denver, CO
Cleveland Clinic Florida — Weston, FL
Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa — Mason City, IA
St. Luke’s Boise Medical Center — Boise, ID
St. Vincent Indianapolis Hospital — Indianapolis, IN
Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center-South Bend — South Bend, IN
St. Elizabeth Medical Center — Edgewood, KY
Union Memorial Hospital — Baltimore, MD
MidMichigan Medical Center-Midland — Midland, MI
Munson Medical Center — Traverse City, MI
Metro Health Hospital — Wyoming, MI
St. Cloud Hospital — St. Cloud, MN
North Mississippi Medical Center — Tupelo, MS
Good Samaritan Hospital — Cincinnati, OH
Riverside Methodist Hospital — Columbus, OH
Hillcrest Hospital — Mayfield Heights, OH
Providence St. Vincent Medical Center — Portland, OR
Bryn Mawr Hospital — Bryn Mawr, PA
Hamot Medical Center — Erie, PA
Lancaster General Hospital — Lancaster, PA
Robert Packer Hospital — Sayre, PA
Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center — Sioux Falls, SD
Gundersen Lutheran Health System — La Crosse, WI
Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare-St. Joseph — Milwaukee, WI
Waukesha Memorial Hospital — Waukesha, WI

Large Community Hospitals
San Antonio Community Hospital — Upland, CA
Memorial Hospital West — Pembroke Pines, FL
Mercy Medical Center-Dubuque — Dubuque, IA
Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital — Downers Grove, IL
Silver Cross Hospital — Joliet, IL
Central DuPage Hospital — Winfield, IL
King’s Daughters Medical Center — Ashland, KY
Baptist Hospital East — Louisville, KY
St. Mary Mercy Livonia Hospital — Livonia, MI
St. John’s Regional Medical Center — Joplin, MO
Missouri Baptist Medical Center — St. Louis, MO
Saint Elizabeth Regional Medical Center — Lincoln, NE
Alegent Health Bergan Mercy Medical Center — Omaha, NE
Southwest General Health Center — Middleburg Heights, OH
Memorial Health Care System — Chattanooga, TN
Saint Thomas Hospital — Nashville, TN
Centennial Medical Center — Nashville, TN
Doctors Hospital at Renaissance — Edinburg, TX
Citizens Medical Center — Victoria, TX
Providence Regional Medical Center Everett — Everett, WA

Medium Community Hospitals
West Anaheim Medical Center — Anaheim, CA
Middlesex Hospital — Middletown, CT
Riverside Medical Center — Kankakee, IL
Columbus Regional Hospital — Columbus, IN
St. Francis Hospital-Indianapolis — Indianapolis, IN
Memorial Hospital and Health Care Center — Jasper, IN
Marion General Hospital — Marion, IN
Saint Joseph East — Lexington, KY
Gratiot Medical Center — Alma, MI
Holland Hospital –Holland, MI
Rutherford Hospital, Inc. — Rutherfordton, NC
Mercy Hospital Clermont — Batavia, OH
Union Hospital — Dover, OH
Sycamore Medical Center — Miamisburg, OH
Licking Memorial Hospital — Newark, OH
Wooster Community Hospital — Wooster, OH
Memorial Regional Medical Center — Mechanicsville, VA
The Monroe Clinic — Monroe, WI
Aurora Sheboygan Memorial Medical Center — Sheboygan, WI
Aurora West Allis Medical Center — West Allis, WI

Small Community Hospitals
Chambers Memorial Hospital — Danville, AR
St. Elizabeth Community Hospital — Red Bluff, CA
Desert Valley Hospital — Victorville, CA
Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast — Miramar Beach, FL
Meadows Regional Medical Center — Vidalia, GA
The King’s Daughters’ Hospital & Health Services — Madison, IN
Major Hospital — Shelbyville, IN
Saint Joseph-London — London, KY
Mercy Hospital Cadillac — Cadillac, MI
Central Michigan Community Hospital — Mount Pleasant, MI
Saint Joseph Mercy Saline Hospital — Saline, MI
Douglas County Hospital — Alexandria, MN
Lakeview Hospital — Stillwater, MN
Parkland Health Center-Farmington — Farmington, MO
Jamestown Hospital — Jamestown, ND
Duncan Regional Hospital — Duncan, OK
St. Mary’s Jefferson Memorial Hospital — Jefferson City, TN
St. Mary’s Medical Center of Campbell County — LaFollette, TN
Lake Whitney Medical Center — Whitney, TX
Castleview Hospital — Price, UT

Source: Thomson Reuters


Instantaneous full-volume imaging and knowledge-based workflow applications streamline exam processes

During the 58th Annual Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology (ACC) from March 29-31 in Orlando, Fla., Siemens Healthcare (www.usa.siemens.com/healthcare) demonstrates the ACUSON SC2000(TM) volume imaging ultrasound system that delivers workflow speed and improved diagnostic confidence with non-stitched, instantaneous full-volume imaging of the heart in one single heart cycle (booth #1842). The company will also show how knowledge-based applications and automation of procedures across their platforms enhance clinical workflows.

With Echo in a Heartbeat(TM), the ACUSON SC2000 system delivers non-stitched, real-time full-volume imaging of the heart in one single heart cycle at the highest volume acquisition rate in the industry of up to 40 volumes per second. Unlike conventional 3D ultrasound systems which require four to seven heart cycles to stitch together a volume, this one-beat technology changes the way echocardiography workflow is practiced today by making imaging the shortest part of the exam. Automatic extraction of reference planes from the cardiac volume for measurement, analysis, and interpretation as well as protocol-driven exam procedures enhance workflow efficiency and increase diagnostic confidence. Migrated over from existing premium ACUSON Sequoia(TM) technology, the 4V1c 2D echocardiography transducer will offer additional application versatility.

“The ACUSON SC2000 volume imaging system delivers genuine instantaneous full-volume imaging at an unparalleled information rate,” said Klaus Hambuechen, chief executive officer, Ultrasound, Siemens Healthcare. “Its streamlined and accelerated knowledge-based applications bring a new paradigm to echo imaging and workflow that transforms the practice of echocardiography – now and in the future.”

The system allows for a full-volume acquisition of the entire heart with 90 degree pyramids with a high-volume acquisition rate of up to 40 volumes per second, every second, which dramatically reduces acquisition time. Designed to support advanced cardiovascular applications, the knowledge-based workflow software uses learned pattern recognition technology and an expert database of real clinical cases. This enables the system to recognize anatomical patterns and landmarks, as well as to perform automatic measurements further streamlining clinical workflow. Automated full-volume contouring for fast qualitative and quantitative analysis, and customizable, programmable, and protocol-driven workflow sequences deliver repeatability for better outcomes: greater efficiency, accuracy, consistency, and care – from data acquisition to diagnosis. To further enhance efficiency, the syngo(R) SC2000 Workplace enables offline reporting, as well as complete review, processing and storage of the acquired volumes.

A Complete Cardiology Toolset

Siemens will also be featuring the 5.0 release for its ACUSON X300(TM) ultrasound system, premium edition (PE), featuring advanced technologies and applications to offer a complete cardiology toolset in one compact, easy-to-use package. Dynamic TCE(TM) tissue contrast enhancement technology increases diagnostic confidence by smoothing the overall image, reducing speckle and enhancing borders and contrast. For increased penetration and higher frequency imaging of pediatric patients, the new P9-4 pediatric probe enables high-resolution, multi-frequency phased array imaging.

The ACUSON X300 PE also offers advanced capabilities for comprehensive cardiac assessment, such as syngo(R) Auto Left Heart with expert-like measurements of ejection fraction and volumes of the left ventricle and atrium. Improved Stress Echo capabilities as well as compatibility with ACUSON AcuNav(TM) intracardiac ultrasound catheters and transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) for the evaluation of heart valves and chambers complement the solution.

Cardiovascular Assessment

For use on the ACUSON X300 PE and ACUSON S2000(TM) ultrasound systems, Siemens will also highlight its recently FDA-cleared syngo Arterial Health Package (AHP) application. syngo AHP offers a new tool to help physicians measure carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and to communicate results regarding subclinical vascular disease and cardiovascular disease risk to their patients. syngo AHP combines the semi-automated ultrasound measurement of CIMT and the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) database to estimate vascular age. It also includes a Framingham Risk Calculator to help physicians evaluate their patients’ risk of cardiovascular disease. Without the use of radiation or medicines to slow the heart, syngo AHP provides an inexpensive and immediate means of assessing subclinical atherosclerosis. It computes the CIMT, replacing tedious, manual measurements, allowing the entire exam to be performed in 15 to 20 minutes. In addition, syngo AHP is an excellent tool for patient information and education to help them understand their vascular health and the importance of preventative care.

Power and Performance in a Personalized System

Another highlight of the Siemens Ultrasound exhibition is the 2.0 release* of the ACUSON P50(TM) ultrasound system. The system offers exceptional image quality in a platform that moves with the daily workflow of busy healthcare providers: running as a Microsoft(R) Windows(R) application with an intuitive user interface, it enables care givers to focus on the patient. The platform offers immediate access to analysis, reporting, archive, email, the Internet, and other productivity applications. In its new release, the ACUSON P50 system offers intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) imaging for the 8F or 10F ACUSON AcuNav(TM) ultrasound catheter provides electrophysiologists and interventional cardiologists with high-quality, real-time diagnostic ultrasound images and Doppler blood flow information from within the heart. In addition, the system now drives 256 beam forming channels, providing superior imaging quality that is also complemented by SieClear(TM) multi-view spatial compounding and SieVision speckle reduction technology.

The Siemens Healthcare Sector is one of the world’s largest suppliers to the healthcare industry. The company is a renowned medical solutions provider with core competence and innovative strength in diagnostic and therapeutic technologies as well as in knowledge engineering, including information technology and system integration. With its laboratory diagnostics acquisitions, Siemens Healthcare is the first integrated healthcare company, bringing together imaging and lab diagnostics, therapy, and healthcare information technology solutions, supplemented by consulting and support services. Siemens Healthcare delivers solutions across the entire continuum of care – from prevention and early detection, to diagnosis, therapy and care. Additionally, Siemens Healthcare is the global market leader in innovative hearing instruments. The company employs around 49,000 people worldwide and operates in 130 countries. In the fiscal year 2008 (Sept. 30), Siemens Healthcare reported sales of euro 11.2 billion, orders of euro 11.8 billion, and Sector profit of euro 1.2 billion. Further information can be found by visiting http://www.siemens.com/healthcare.

*510(k) pending. Not commercially available in the United States.

Source: Siemens Healthcare


NHS Health Checks, which could prevent 1600 heart attacks and strokes each year and help save 650 lives will begin from April this year, announced Health Secretary Alan Johnson.

The Health Secretary also announced the start of two further groundbreaking measures – the abolition of prescription charges for cancer patients and the start of MRSA screening for elective patients.

Everyone aged between 40-74 in England will begin to be invited for a free health check as part of a national programme to identify their risk of diseases such as coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes and kidney disease. The programme is an essential tool in tackling health inequalities across the country.

The health checks are part of a drive to ensure that people from this age group have the necessary information about their health in order to make important lifestyle changes and reduce their risks of developing diseases like diabetes and coronary heart disease. These illnesses currently affect the lives of 4 million people in England and are responsible for a fifth of all hospital admissions.

The checks are part of the drive towards a more preventative NHS.

The health checks will consist of:

  • Straightforward questions to patients on their health and diet, exercise habits and family medical history
  • Height and weight measurements taken from patients
  • A simple blood test for cholesterol and in some cases for glucose levels
  • A follow up, personal assessment setting out the individual’s level of risk and what they can do to reduce this
  • Recommendations of what could be done to reduce risk including: weight management programmes, stop smoking, physical activity programmes

Local Primary Care Trusts are designing their own local implementation plans to make sure that they can deliver the checks and follow up services that will be best suit the needs of the local population.

Health Secretary Alan Johnson said:
“The NHS is becoming more personal and responsive to individual needs; becoming as good at prevention and keeping people healthy as it is at providing care and cures; and able to offer the information and support people need to make healthy choices.

“There are a number of different commitments that we are delivering on which will start from this April. The national programme of Health Checks could save 650 lives a year and reduce the health inequalities that blight the lives of the country’s most deprived families.

“Screening of all relevant elective patients for MRSA before admission is an and additional preventative measure that will help to protect patients against infection, and also, free prescriptions for people living with cancer and related conditions is one less worry for them at such a difficult time and will be welcomed by many patients and their families.”

The preventative checks will be rolled out across England from April and will be fully implemented by 2012/13. They are likely to be available at GP surgeries, health centres, walk in centres and pharmacies to ensure as many people benefit from them as possible.

Further measures to protect patient’s health being delivered by the NHS on April 1 include all NHS Trusts being able to offer MRSA screening to all relevant elective patients. This will allow the NHS to reduce the chances of patients getting an MRSA infection, or passing MRSA onto another patient. Although the number of people getting infections from MRSA is falling (latest figures show reductions of 38 per cent), we still have further to go and this is part of our continued efforts to reduce numbers even further.

April 1 is also the date when the abolition of NHS prescription charges for everyone undergoing treatment for cancer, the effects of cancer, or the effects of cancer treatment, will also come in to effect. Up to 150,000 patients already diagnosed with cancer are expected to benefit, saving them £100 or more each year in prescription charges.

Source: Department of Health


Securing Your Health Care Coverage

What Seniors Can Do Over the Next Five Days to Ensure Their Coverage for the Next Nine Months

The open enrollment period for individuals who are enrolled in Medicare plans to make final changes to their 2009 benefits ends Tuesday, March 31. Seniors and their caregivers have five more days to take one more look, consider one more change before they can no longer switch to a new Medicare plan. The next opportunity to change will be in November for a January 1, 2010 effective date.

“By now, seniors should have had some experience with their current benefit packages, whether seeing physicians, filling prescriptions or finally reviewing the packet of information provided by their health insurers,” said Bill Stapleton, president and chief executive officer of Health Plan One, the parent company of MedicareSolutions, an online insurance brokerage and Medicare information portal. “Some may be surprised to find out that their physicians are no longer in their plans’ networks or that co-pays and other costs had gone up more than they had anticipated.”

Before April 1, Medicare recipients can make the following changes:

  • Individuals enrolled in Medicare Advantage Plans with prescription drug coverage can disenroll back to original Medicare coverage and a separate prescription drug plan.
  • Individuals enrolled in a Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug (MAPD) plan can change to another MAPD plan.
  • Individuals enrolled in original Medicare can enroll in a Medicare Advantage Plan.

Stapleton, whose company provides side-by-side comparisons of Medicare Advantage Plans through its Web sites www.healthplanone.com and www.medicaresolutions.com, recommends thoroughly reviewing your policy and making appropriate changes prior to the lock-in deadline.

However, there are situations in which seniors can make changes on or after April 1, 2009, including:

  • Lose employer-sponsored health benefits;
  • Move to another county or state;
  • Go into or come out of a nursing home;
  • Are diagnosed with a chronic illness or are deemed disabled after the lock-in period begins;
  • Enroll or disenroll from Medicaid; or
  • Meet certain income levels and qualify for government Medicare programs.

“We have received a fair number of calls from seniors worried about how the economy may hurt their ability to access and pay for needed health care,” Stapleton, a 15-year veteran in the health insurance industry, said. “There are federal and state programs that seniors may be eligible for should their income reach a certain level. These safety nets help ensure that individuals do not sacrifice their health due an inability to pay.”

Low-income subsidies for Medicare prescription drug coverage are available through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Additional assistance is available through other government programs to help offset the cost of monthly Part B premiums and other expenses. Seniors with annual incomes below $12,500 for individuals and $25,000 for couples are eligible for assistance. States also have programs to help seniors pay for the cost of health benefits including New York’s EPIC drug program, Connecticut’s ConnPACE program and Texas’ Texas Kidney Health Care program. For more information on these and other programs, visit http://www.medicaresolutions.com/state-medicare-information.asp.

MedicareSolutions’ customer service advocates also can help individuals determine if they are eligible for federal and state programs and help them apply for these funds by going to www.medicaresolutions.com or calling (800) 328-7305.

Founded in 2005, Health Plan One is a licensed health insurance agency and a leading online health insurance market, offering the broadest selection of health plans to individuals, families and Medicare recipients. Through its comprehensive Web sites, which include health plan comparison tools and extensive educational information, and its enhanced customer service model, individuals can purchase the best health plans to meet their health care coverage and affordability needs. For more information, visit www.healthplanone.com for individuals and families; and www.medicaresolutions.com for Medicare beneficiaries.

Source: Health Plan One, L.L.C.


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