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Public Relations / Marketing OfficerDavid Bruzzese For Immediate Release Quality scores rank Mercy among nation’s top hospitals DURANGO, Colo.— Mercy Regional Medical Center’s quality indicators rank it among the top 10 percent of hospitals in the country in nearly 10 different process of care measures. The measures show how often hospitals provide some of the care that is recommended for patients having surgery or being treated for heart attack, heart failure, or pneumonia. Mercy’s scores in nine of the 22 measures earned it “top hospital” designation by ranking it among top 10 percent of all U.S. hospitals. Mercy earned 'top hospital' status in four heart attack indicators, three pneumonia indicators, and one indicator each in heart failure and surgery. “There are many different people who each have an important role in ensuring the delivery of the highest quality care,” said Nancy Hoyt, RN, Mercy’s chief nursing officer. “These scores reflect Mercy’s facility-wide commitment to quality.” The indicators are tracked as part of the Hospital Quality Alliance (HQA), a public – private partnership led by the American Hospital Association (AHA), Federation of American Hospitals (FAH), and Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), in collaboration with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. The HQA’s efforts are intended to make it easier for consumers to make informed healthcare decisions, and to support efforts to improve quality in U.S. hospitals. The major vehicle for achieving this goal is the consumer-oriented Hospital Compare website, http://www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov, where consumers can view process of care measures for specific hospitals, or view side-by-side comparisons of the performance of two or more hospitals. “We encourage patients to become actively involved in their care. Using resources like this to choose where they receive care is part of it, but once they choose a hospital, they need to speak up, ask questions, and express concerns. They’re the most important member of their health care team,” said Hoyt. The data used in the most recent release was gathered from October 2005 to September 2006 and was made public June 21, 2007. Hospitals voluntarily submit data from their medical records about the treatments their adult patients receive for these conditions. The data includes patients with Medicare and those who do not have Medicare. Mercy Regional Medical Center is a not-for-profit hospital and member of the Denver-based Catholic Health Initiatives health system, which includes 71 hospitals; 42 long-term care, assisted and independent living and residential facilities; and two community-based health organizations located in 19 states. # # # |
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