Patient Care Programs Recognized

News of Note (December 5, 2008) — Patients have on average a 70 percent lower chance of dying at the nation’s top-rated hospitals compared with the lowest-rated hospitals across 17 procedures and conditions analyzed in the 11th annual HealthGrades Hospital Quality in America Study, issued by HealthGrades, the leading independent health-care ratings organization.While overall death rates declined from 2005 to 2007, the nation’s best-performing hospitals were able to reduce their death rates at a much faster rate than poorly performing hospitals.

HealthGrades Hospital Quality in America Study also found that if all hospitals performed at the level of five-star rated hospitals, 237,420 Medicare deaths could potentially have been prevented over the three years studied. The HealthGrades Study of patient outcomes at the nation’s approximately 5,000 hospitals is the most comprehensive annual study of its kind, analyzing more than 41 million Medicare hospitalization records from 2005 to 2007.

St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital, home of the Texas Heart Institute, received an unprecedented nine Specialty Awards for Clinical Excellence. In the specialties related to cardiovascular disease, Cardiac Care, Cardiac Intervention, Stroke Care, Vascular Surgery, and Critical Care were recognized.

Dr. James Willerson, President and Medical Director of the Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital, said, “The recognition from HealthGrades is a glowing testament to the skills and dedication of THI physicians and SLEH nurses and other support personnel. Their remarkable commitment and ability translates into an exemplary level of care for the thousands of patients we treat each year.”

St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital was also ranked among the top academic medical centers in the United States. A study of 88 academic medical centers from across the country placed St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital among the top five centers in the nation based on high performance in quality and safety as measured by the University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC).

The UHC 2008 Quality and Accountability Study was guided by six elements of care—safety, timeliness, effectiveness, efficiency, equity and patient centeredness. By ranking second in the top five in the United States, St. Luke’s earned the UHC 2008 Quality Leadership Award.

The purpose of the annual study, according to the UHC, is to determine what structures and practices are associated with excellent performance across a wide variety of patient populations at academic medical centers. Such factors identified in earlier studies include a shared sense of purpose throughout the organization, leadership style, an accountability system, a focus on results and a collaborative culture.

“The UHC 2008 Quality Leadership Award reflects St. Luke’s steadfast commitment to excellence in patient care,” said David C. Pate, MD, JD, chief executive officer, St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital, and senior vice president, St. Luke’s Episcopal Health System. “The hard work and dedication on the part of every employee at St. Luke’s are aligned with our mission to provide the most skilled and compassionate care for our patients.”

For Texas Heart Institute media profiles, see Public Affairs.