Hospital Takes on Septicemia, Saves 36 Lives

East Alabama was one of three Quest-collaborative hospitals that presented case studies of their improvement to help Premier publicize the success of the program.  Other hospital systems that presented case studies about the progress they made during the three-year project were McLeod Health Regional Medical Center in Florence, SC and Inova Health of Fairfax, VA.

In addition to reductions in observed-to-expected mortality rates and costs, Premier President and CEO Susan DeVore says improvements in this Quest hospital cohort came across the board in improved patient experience scores, better compliance with evidence-based guidelines, and greater reduction in harmful events.

Compared with Medicare data for other non-Quest hospitals in the nation for 2009, Quest hospitals had a 29% lower mortality rate, Premier officials said. And compared with U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quest hospital inpatient costs rose only 2% above inflation over the 2008-2010 year period, while non-participating hospitals' costs rose 17%.

DeVore said the project realized a $1,025 decrease in the average inpatient cost per discharge compared with the baseline of the project, which equated to a 17% decrease.

The program measured 24 specific types of harmful events similar to initiatives led by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation's Partnership For Patients and the Affordable Care Act's value-based purchasing program.