Local News

Four Lutheran Health Network Hospitals Make ‘Top Performer’ List

 

Second Annual TJC recognition program reviewed more than 3,400 hospitals nationwide

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (Sept. 19, 2012) – Four Lutheran Health Network hospitals today were named among the nation’s top performers on key quality measures by The Joint Commission, the leading accreditor of healthcare organizations in America. Bluffton Regional Medical Center, Dukes Memorial Hospital (Peru), Dupont Hospital (Fort Wayne) and The Orthopedic Hospital of Lutheran Health Network (Fort Wayne) were all recognized by The Joint Commission for exemplary performance in using evidence-based clinical processes that are shown to improve care for certain conditions. Those conditions include heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia, surgical care, children’s asthma, stroke and venous thromboembolism, as well as inpatient psychiatric services.  

       

The LHN facilities that were recognized are four of only 620 U.S. hospitals earning the distinction of Top Performer on Key Quality Measures for attaining and sustaining excellence in accountability measure performance. 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 represents 18 percent of more than 3,400 eligible accredited hospitals reporting data.

Each recognized LHN facility met specific thresholds for these key quality measures:

·         Bluffton Regional Medical Center                                             Pneumonia and Surgical Care

·         Dukes Memorial Hospital                                                       Pneumonia

·         Dupont Hospital                                                                     Pneumonia and Surgical Care

·         The Orthopedic Hospital of Lutheran Health Network                 Surgical Care                

This is the second time these LHN facilities have been recognized as a Top Performer. They are four of only 244 hospitals that achieved the distinction two years in a row.

“When we raise the bar and provide the proper guidance and tools, hospitals have responded with excellent results,” said Mark R. Chassin, M.D., FACP, M.P.P., M.P.H., 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 health care system into one that achieves unprecedented performance outcomes for the benefit of the patients.”

“Lutheran Health Network understands that what matters most to patients is safe, effective care. This achievement is a reflection of the commitment our physicians, nurses and associates have made to positive patient outcomes through evidence-based processes,” said Joe Dorko, chief executive officer, Lutheran Health Network. “LHN is proud that four of its facilities are included in a select group of hospitals nationwide that were named to The Joint Commission’s list of top performers two consecutive years.”

 

Each of the hospitals named as a Top Performer on Key Quality Measures met two 95 percent performance thresholds. First, the hospital achieved performance of 95 percent or above on the composite score that includes all the accountability measures for which it reported data to The Joint Commission for calendar year 2011. Second, recognized hospitals met or exceeded a 95 percent performance target for each and every accountability measure for which they reported data to The Joint Commission, excluding any measures with fewer than 30 eligible cases.

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.

In addition to being included in today’s release of The Joint Commission’s “Improving America’s Hospitals” annual report, each hospital will be recognized on The Joint Commission’s Quality Check website Qualitycheck.org .

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