CHARLOTTE, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- More than 250 healthcare experts from across the nation recently convened to share proven strategies and best practices to prevent harm, and reduce readmissions and costs while providing the best patient experience.
The clinical, financial and administrative experts’ organizations are part of the Premier healthcare alliance’s QUEST®: High Performing Hospitals collaborative, in which 250 hospitals saved an estimated 25,235 lives and $2.85 billion in costs in 30 months.
“Better patient care saves lives and keeps our community healthy. And given the requirements of health reform, committing to make changes now is essential,” said Susan Elerding, RN, BSN, performance improvement specialist at Peninsula Regional Medical Center (PRMC), a QUEST member. Elerding and Jo-Ann Lewis, RN, BSN, CIC, infection preventionist at PRMC, spoke about harm avoidance and safety during the meeting.
QUEST hospitals are working to reduce preventable harm by 40 percent and 30-day readmission rates by 20 percent to achieve the reduction goals set forth by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Partnership for Patients program.
Additionally, a collaborative within QUEST was introduced that focuses on reducing readmissions. Carolyn Scott, RN, M.Ed, MHA, Premier vice president of performance improvement and quality, said, “Reform will financially penalize hospitals with higher rates of harm and readmissions. QUEST members are actively reducing preventable infections with IT solutions tracking surveillance and comparing data, as well as sharing best practices that have been proven to improve the quality of care.”
Special guest keynote, Regina Holliday, a Washington, D.C.-based patient rights arts advocate, created illustrations of what healthcare looks like at the meeting. Holliday writes about the QUEST experience in her blog, which also has pictures of her paintings from the meeting.
Six hospitals were recognized at the meeting with the QUEST Award for High-Value Healthcare, and 87 other hospitals received honorable mentions for their achievements in delivering high-value care.
“These hospitals and health systems are in the best possible position to achieve the goals of linking payments to quality outcomes, as well as providing lessons learned that will help hospitals around the country improve their performance,” said Premier Senior Vice President of Public Affairs Blair Childs, who gave an update on health reform during the meeting.
QUEST members’ observed mortality is 5 percent lower than non-participants when compared to what is expected, having dropped 23 percent. Furthermore, national costs for inpatient care have increased by 21 percent over the course of the project, compared to a mere 4 percent cost increase among the QUEST hospitals.
About the Premier healthcare alliance, Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award recipient
Premier is a performance improvement alliance of more than 2,500 U.S. hospitals and 75,000-plus other healthcare sites using the power of collaboration to lead the transformation to high quality, cost-effective care. Owned by hospitals, health systems and other providers, Premier maintains the nation's most comprehensive repository of clinical, financial and outcomes information and operates a leading healthcare purchasing network. A world leader in helping deliver measurable improvements in care, Premier has worked with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the United Kingdom's National Health Service North West to improve hospital performance. Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Premier also has an office in Washington. http://www.premierinc.com. Stay connected with Premier on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
CONTACT:
Premier healthcare alliance
Alven Weil, 704-816-5797
[email protected]
KEYWORDS: United States North America California District of Columbia Illinois North Carolina Pennsylvania
INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Health Hospitals Infectious Diseases Other Health Nursing
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