Saint Joseph Heath System is First in Central Kentucky and Eastern Kentucky to Offer Full Access to Quality Data
Online Quality Report’s high level of transparency answers consumers’ growing demand for unfiltered health care information
Lexington, KY, July 15, 2010 --(PR.com)-- Beginning today, Saint Joseph Health System (SJHS) is increasing its transparency and public reporting by launching an online Quality Report at SaintJosephQuality.org. SJHS is the first central and eastern Kentucky and only the second in the state (also Norton Healthcare in Louisville) to offer this high level of transparency, which allows the public full access to the organization’s performance.
“We are joining a small number of health care facilities nationwide that are providing the public with uncensored information about the quality of their care, based on nationally developed and endorsed measures,” said Gene Woods, CEO of SJHS. “By sharing this information so openly, we hope to give consumers power in their decision-making. This information will also be used by our staff and physicians to further improve our patient care processes and share best practices among our hospitals. The bottom line is that patients have a right to know how their health care provider is performing according to nationally recognized quality standards, and we wanted to make it easy for patients to access our data to make informed decisions about where to receive the best care. We strongly believe it is important to do so proactively without waiting for a legislative mandate.”
Consumers can access performance information for all SJHS facilities at SaintJosephQuality.org, a user-friendly site that will be updated quarterly to reflect how SJHS score against nationally-validated measures that guide patient care, including those established by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). These national “Core Measures” monitor a variety of evidence-based, scientifically researched standards of care which have been shown to result in improved clinical outcomes for patients.
With the click of a mouse, consumers can search by medical condition or surgical procedure. For example, a consumer can find out what percentage of heart attack patients at a SJHS facility receive an aspirin upon arrival, and can compare that to the national and state averages. A Core Measure for heart attack, administering aspirin on arrival helps reduce heart damage and increases a patient’s survival rate. Or, a consumer can discover what percentage of surgical patients experience post-operative blood clots at a SJHS facility compared to national and state averages.
“Each SJHS hospital is compared side-by-side and measured using the same criteria, and against national and state averages, regardless of the hospital’s size or level of care,” said Dan Varga, MD, Chief Medical Officer of SJHS. “Whether it is a small, rural facility like Saint Joseph - Martin or a large, tertiary care facility like Saint Joseph Hospital in Lexington, we want our patients to know they can expect the same high-quality care at each of our facilities. This Quality Report is the first step in moving our quality initiative to the next level. Equally important will be how we incorporate this information to care at the bedside of our patients on a daily basis.”
SJHS already reports certain quality data to CMS (which publishes it on Hospital Compare, a national Web site that compares hospitals), The Joint Commission, and several other national agencies that have developed measures, and collect data to track and benchmark performance. At SaintJosephQuality.org, SJHS will present all of its quality data more frequently, using more indicators and in a more consumer-friendly manner, encouraging conversations among potential patients and doctors about health care issues, and giving consumers power in their decision-making.
Saint Joseph Health System is a 981-bed, eight-facility health care system that spans central and eastern Kentucky. Saint Joseph Health System (serving our communities for more than 130 years) is a member of Catholic Health Initiatives, the nation’s second-largest Catholic health care system. Visit www.SaintJosephHealthSystem.org for further information.
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“We are joining a small number of health care facilities nationwide that are providing the public with uncensored information about the quality of their care, based on nationally developed and endorsed measures,” said Gene Woods, CEO of SJHS. “By sharing this information so openly, we hope to give consumers power in their decision-making. This information will also be used by our staff and physicians to further improve our patient care processes and share best practices among our hospitals. The bottom line is that patients have a right to know how their health care provider is performing according to nationally recognized quality standards, and we wanted to make it easy for patients to access our data to make informed decisions about where to receive the best care. We strongly believe it is important to do so proactively without waiting for a legislative mandate.”
Consumers can access performance information for all SJHS facilities at SaintJosephQuality.org, a user-friendly site that will be updated quarterly to reflect how SJHS score against nationally-validated measures that guide patient care, including those established by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). These national “Core Measures” monitor a variety of evidence-based, scientifically researched standards of care which have been shown to result in improved clinical outcomes for patients.
With the click of a mouse, consumers can search by medical condition or surgical procedure. For example, a consumer can find out what percentage of heart attack patients at a SJHS facility receive an aspirin upon arrival, and can compare that to the national and state averages. A Core Measure for heart attack, administering aspirin on arrival helps reduce heart damage and increases a patient’s survival rate. Or, a consumer can discover what percentage of surgical patients experience post-operative blood clots at a SJHS facility compared to national and state averages.
“Each SJHS hospital is compared side-by-side and measured using the same criteria, and against national and state averages, regardless of the hospital’s size or level of care,” said Dan Varga, MD, Chief Medical Officer of SJHS. “Whether it is a small, rural facility like Saint Joseph - Martin or a large, tertiary care facility like Saint Joseph Hospital in Lexington, we want our patients to know they can expect the same high-quality care at each of our facilities. This Quality Report is the first step in moving our quality initiative to the next level. Equally important will be how we incorporate this information to care at the bedside of our patients on a daily basis.”
SJHS already reports certain quality data to CMS (which publishes it on Hospital Compare, a national Web site that compares hospitals), The Joint Commission, and several other national agencies that have developed measures, and collect data to track and benchmark performance. At SaintJosephQuality.org, SJHS will present all of its quality data more frequently, using more indicators and in a more consumer-friendly manner, encouraging conversations among potential patients and doctors about health care issues, and giving consumers power in their decision-making.
Saint Joseph Health System is a 981-bed, eight-facility health care system that spans central and eastern Kentucky. Saint Joseph Health System (serving our communities for more than 130 years) is a member of Catholic Health Initiatives, the nation’s second-largest Catholic health care system. Visit www.SaintJosephHealthSystem.org for further information.
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Contact
Saint Joseph Health System
Kevin Smith
859-313-1000
sjhlex.org
Kevin Smith
859-313-1000
sjhlex.org
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