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Thomson Reuters IDs 15 Top Health Systems

 |  By John Commins  
   January 18, 2012

Thomson Reuters on Tuesday named its "15 Top Health Systems" in the nation based on clinical performance.

The fourth annual study reviewed clinical outcomes at more than 300 health systems across the country and picked the top 15 based on a composite score of eight measures of quality, patient perception of care, and efficiency.

"This year we are seeing stronger system-wide performance and increased rates of improvement, particularly among the 15 Top Health Systems award winners," Jean Chenoweth, senior vice president for performance improvement and 100 Top Hospitals program at Thomson Reuters, said in a statement.

"Health system performance is beginning to reflect aspirations to provide more consistent outcomes across communities served. Healthcare reform appears to have stimulated the increased rate of improvement at the system level."

The study divides the 15 top health systems into large, medium, and small groups based on total operating expenses. The winners are as follows:

Large Health Systems
More than $1.5 billion total operating expenses:

  • Banner Health, Phoenix, AZ
  • CareGroup Healthcare System, Boston, MA
  • Jefferson Health System, Radnor, PA
  • Memorial Hermann Healthcare System, Houston, TX
  • St. Vincent Health, Indianapolis, IN

Medium Health Systems
Between $750 million-$1.5 billion total operating expenses:

  • Baystate Health, Springfield, MA
  • Geisinger Health System, Danville, PA
  • HCA Central and West Texas Division, Austin, TX
  • Mission Health System, Asheville, NC
  • Prime Healthcare Services, Ontario, CA

Small Health Systems
Less than $750 million in total operating expenses:

  • Baptist Health, Montgomery, AL
  • Maury Regional Healthcare System, Columbia, TN
  • Poudre Valley Health System, Fort Collins, CO
  • Saint Joseph Regional Health System, Mishawaka, IN
  • Tanner Health System, Carrolton, GA

Thomson Reuters says its study looked at eight metrics that gauge clinical quality and efficiency: mortality, medical complications, patient safety, average length of stay, 30-day mortality rate, 30-day readmission rate, adherence to clinical standards of care (evidence-based core measures published by CMS), and HCAHPS patient survey score.

The study found that regardless of their size the top health systems shared many of the same qualities, including:

Lower 30-Day Mortality Rates
The 15 top health systems held post-discharge 30-day mortality rates steady. Peer health systems showed a significant increase in post discharge mortality.

Better Survival Rates
Top hospitals had 17% fewer deaths than expected considering patient severity, while non-winning hospitals had 4% more deaths than expected.

Fewer Complications
Patients of top health systems had 19% fewer complications.

Shorter Hospital Stays
Patients treated in top systems have an average length of stay of 4.7 days, nearly half a day shorter than their peers' median of 5.1 days.

Better Patient Safety and Core Measure Adherence
Top health systems had 23% fewer adverse patient safety events than expected and had better adherence to core measures of care than their peers.

The study used the 2010 Medicare Provider Analysis and Review (MedPAR) and the CMS Hospital Compare data sets to examine health systems with two or more short-term, general, non-federal hospitals; cardiac and orthopedic hospitals; and critical access hospitals. 

 

John Commins is a content specialist and online news editor for HealthLeaders, a Simplify Compliance brand.

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