Texas Hospitals Recognized for High Quality of Care
88 Receive Texas Health Care Quality Improvement Award
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Emilie Fennell
(512) 334-1649
efennell@txqio.sdps.org
1-800-725-9216
Austin, TX, May 31, 2007 – 88 Texas hospitals will receive this year’s Texas Health Care Quality Improvement Award, presented by TMF Health Quality Institute. The non-competitive program evaluates a hospital’s performance improvement on specific national quality measures.
“With this significant achievement, it is clear these hospitals are focused on providing the highest quality care to their patients. They recognize quality improvement is not about data, but about people,” said Tom Manley, CEO of TMF Health Quality Institute. “These hospitals demonstrate they are dedicated to ensuring all patients receive the right care at the right time, every time.”
The Texas Health Care Quality Improvement Award honors Texas hospitals that are performing quality initiatives aimed at improving outcomes in patient care by recognizing those hospitals that have improved their initial baseline performance on specific national quality measures.
The award acknowledges hospitals for improving care related to acute myocardial infarction (heart attack), heart failure, and pneumonia. These clinical areas have been designated as national health care priorities by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Joint Commission, the nation’s predominant independent, non-profit, standards-setting and accrediting body in health care.
A ceremony at the Hilton in Austin on June 28, 2007 will honor the 88 hospitals. Of more than 390 eligible Texas hospitals, 63 met the criteria of the highest award, the Award of Excellence, and another 25 received the Quality Improvement Achievement Award. A list of the honored hospitals is located here.
TMF Health Quality Institute, the Medicare quality improvement organization for Texas, established the awards program in partnership with the Texas Hospital Association, Texas Medical Association, Texas Organization of Rural & Community Hospitals and Texas Osteopathic Medical Association.
The award recognizes hospitals that are active in quality improvement and have made the required improvement on a composite scoring system, called the appropriate care measure (ACM). The ACM consists of ten measures: five acute myocardial infarction (heart attack), two heart failure, and three pneumonia measures.
To qualify for an award, hospitals were required to submit a baseline measurement (second quarter of 2005) of their performance on the clinical measures. They then implemented process changes to improve their performance and remeasured, fourth quarter 2006, to see if they had maintained or improved their performance.
To earn the Award of Excellence, a hospital had to achieve or maintain performance between 90 and 100 percent on the appropriate care measure. To qualify for the Quality Improvement Achievement Award, a hospital had to attain a minimum 80 percent for the appropriate care measure. In addition, hospitals had to improve a certain number of percentage points from their baseline measurement.
For more information on the award, see the hospital award website.
About TMF Health Quality Institute
TMF Health Quality Institute, formerly Texas Medical Foundation, is an Austin, Texas-based nonprofit consulting company focused on promoting quality health and health care through contracts with federal, state and local governments, as well as private organizations. TMF partners with health care providers in a variety of settings to ensure that every person receives the appropriate care, every time.