Decatur Memorial Hospital Selected as Medicare Quality "High-Performer"

Decatur Memorial Hospital has been identified as a "High-Performer" for providing some of the highest quality of care in the nation for Medicare hospital patients treated for pneumonia, heart failure, and heart attacks from July 2003 to June 2004.

Health Services Advisory Group Inc. (HSAG), the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) of Arizona, made the determination through a national study funded by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Initiated in October 2003, the study is titled "Identification and Synthesis of Components Essential to Achieving ‘High Performer’ Status in Various Provider Types." The ultimate objective of the study was to identify "High Performer" hospitals and analyze their distinguishing characteristics in order to help the QIO Program, which consists of a national network of 38 QIOs responsible for each U.S. state, two U.S. Territories and the District of Columbia, transform and accelerate health care quality improvement. Understanding these distinguishing high-performer factors will be a great step forward for QIOs and other health care quality experts in designing interventions to help other hospitals improve care for patients with pneumonia, heart failure and heart attacks.

"We are grateful for Decatur Memorial Hospital’s participation in the High-Performers Special Study and excited about potential changes that can come about," said Andrea Silvey, Ph.D., High-Performers Project Director. "Through this special study, we have identified Decatur Memorial Hospital as one of the nation’s best health care providers for patients with pneumonia, heart failure and heart attacks. Their willingness to share insights, barriers, and lessons learned will be extremely valuable for the QIO community, and ultimately for the 40 million people on Medicare across the nation," said Dr. Silvey.

For a complete copy of the HSAG "High-Performers" CMS Special Study’s report, visit: http://www.hsag.com/projects/high_performers.asp.

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