Georgia Hospital Association (GHA) has named three Emory Healthcare hospitals and one Emory Healthcare-affiliated hospital to its Partnership for Health and Accountability (PHA) Core Measures Honor Roll.
Emory University Hospital and Emory Johns Creek Hospital are two of 24 Georgia hospitals to be placed in the Chairman’s category, the highest category on the list. Emory University Hospital Midtown is one of 25 hospitals in the state to rank in the Trustee category, the second highest category on the list.
Southern Regional Medical Center is among 23 hospitals in the state to be placed in the Presidential category, the third highest category on the list.
The honor roll is based on clinical data provided by the federal Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services (CMS), which administers the nation’s Medicare and Medicaid programs. The data was collected from July 2012 to June 2013.
Hospitals are required to submit care data to CMS, which details how well a hospital’s caregivers adhere to a list of Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) core measures. These measures are the clinical processes of care that are known to be the most effective methods of treatment for surgical patients and patients who have suffered heart attacks, pneumonia and heart failure.
For instance, a recommended treatment to help prevent a heart attack is to take aspirin either before or upon arrival at the hospital, as well as at discharge. It is also recommended that surgery patients be given an antibiotic one hour prior to surgery to prevent infection. The VBP core measure is a composite measure that determines whether or not a patient received the right care at the right time. A hospital’s adherence to these recommended clinical practices usually leads to better outcomes.
"The physicians and staff at all of our facilities strive to maintain the highest standards of quality and patient care," says William Bornstein, MD, PhD, chief quality officer and chief medical officer for Emory Healthcare. "This honor validates the commitment we have to our patients and their families when they are under our care."
"We are pleased to recognize Emory Healthcare’s commitment to patient safety," said Earl V. Rogers, president of GHA. "Compliance with these important core measures ensures that every patient receives the best, most effective health care possible."
About PHA
The Partnership for Health and Accountability, formed in January 2000 and sponsored by the Georgia Hospital Association, is a unique statewide collaborative that brings together health care providers with community agencies and individuals to achieve healthy communities. PHA includes representation from groups like hospitals, physicians, state health officials, legislators and businesses.