St. David’s HealthCare and two El Paso-based hospitals, which together make up the HCA Central and West Texas Division, were named among the nation’s 15 Top Health Systems by Thomson Reuters. This award recognizes hospital systems that have achieved excellence in clinical outcomes, patient safety, patient satisfaction and operational efficiency. Selected from more than 300 healthcare systems across the nation, St. David’s HealthCare is the only system in Central Texas to receive this prestigious ranking in 2012 and only one of two in the entire state.
Unlike many rankings of this type that are more subjective in nature, the Thomson Reuters 15 Top Health Systems study is an annual, quantitative research study that uses objective methodology and independent public data to recognize the best U.S. hospital systems. The public data come primarily from the 2010 Medicare provider data and the Center for Medicare Services’ Hospital Compare data sets. Building on the 100 Top Hospitals® National Balanced Scorecard concept, it is the only study that aggregates individual hospital performance into system-level data. The annual study compares hospital systems against those of similar size based on total operating expense and evaluates them on measures of clinical quality and efficiency.
Similar to the methodology used to identify the 100 Top Hospitals®, Thomas Reuters identified the 15 Top Health Systems by scoring health systems on a set of eight performance measures centered on quality of care, efficiency and consumer satisfaction.
Utilizing the same criteria and process as the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the Texas Award for Performance Excellence is an annual recognition of Texas organizations that have achieved performance excellence and have applied outstanding quality principles in their day-to-day operations. The award is presented to organizations that serve as role models for quality, customer satisfaction, and performance excellence in the state of Texas.
Administered by the Quality Texas Foundation, the Texas Award for Performance Excellence was established in 1993. The award is open to government, education, healthcare, non profit and other businesses. These organizations go through a rigorous application process where quality and performance excellence must be demonstrated on a variety of measures including: organizational leadership; strategic planning; focus on customers; measurement, analysis and knowledge management; workforce focus; process management; and results.
The Texas Award for Performance Excellence is the highest honor bestowed by the State of Texas based upon world class quality measures. Further, 2008 marks the first time ever that an entire multi-hospital health care system has received this coveted award, and obviously, we are the first health care organization in Central Texas to receive this honor. This recognition is a tribute to all of the outstanding individuals who make up the St. David’s HealthCare team.
St. David’s Medical Center has received the Texas Health Care Quality Improvement Award of Excellence from TMF® Health Quality Institute, the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization for Texas. TMF 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 to honor Texas hospitals that are performing quality initiatives aimed at improving outcomes in patient care. TMF recognizes St. David’s Medical Center for improving the hospital’s performance on specific national quality measures.
The awards acknowledge hospitals for improving care related to acute myocardial infarction or AMI (heart attack), heart failure, pneumonia and surgical care. These clinical areas have been designated as national health care priorities by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and The Joint Commission, an independent nonprofit, standards-setting and accrediting body in health care.
The awards recognize hospitals that are active in quality improvement and have made the required improvements on a composite scoring system, called the Appropriate Care Measure (ACM). For acute care hospitals, the ACM consists of 24 quality indicators: eight AMI, four heart failure, seven pneumonia and five surgical care measures.
St. David’s Medical Center has been designated a 2010 Texas Ten Step Facility by the Department of State Health Services and the Texas Hospital Association. This annual designation is awarded to birthing facilities that provide optimal care to improve breastfeeding outcomes.
The Texas Medical Association officially endorsed the Texas Ten Step Program in 2009 to encourage hospitals to create an environment that supports the breastfeeding mother. Health professionals agree that breastfeeding is the first step toward a healthy life. St. David’s South Austin Hospital is providing an environment that creates positive outcomes for breastfeeding families.
St. David’s Medical Center has implemented 10 goals or “steps,” to support mothers who intend to breastfeed their infants before, during, and after delivery. These practices will help the facility meet Texas Breastfeeding Initiative’s goal of having 75 percent of mothers exclusively breastfeeding when they go home with their newborn. This is an essential step toward longer durations of exclusive breastfeeding after discharge. Among the goals that a facility must maintain to acquire the Texas Ten Step designation are training staff within the first six months of employment and offering annual updates. Staff provides the mother with resources to get continued care after discharge as well. The information provided allows staff to give mothers the care that they need in order to succeed in breastfeeding.
For more information on the Texas Ten Step Program, visit
http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/wichd/lactate/TXfact.shtm