Use of computerized physician order entry (CPOE) systems is one key factor to providing superior clinical quality, CEOs at HealthGrades 50 Best Hospitals for 2011 reported.
According to HealthGrades, an online healthcare quality rating and services company, the hospitals on its list have demonstrated superior and sustained clinical quality over an 11-year time period, based on an analysis of more than 140 million Medicare patient records for 26 medical procedures and conditions.
To be recognized with this distinction, hospitals must have had risk-adjusted mortality and complication rates that were in the top 5 percent in the nation for the most consecutive years. On average, patients treated at America’s 50 Best Hospitals had a nearly 30 percent lower risk of death and 3 percent lower rate of complications.
HealthGrades' study found that if all U.S. hospitals had performed at this level, more than a half million deaths of patients on Medicare could have been prevented between 1999 and 2009.
[See also: HealthGrades study: 'Unacceptably wide gap' between top peforming hospitals, others]
“As our nation searches for a solution to providing Americans with access to high quality healthcare at an affordable price, these hospitals are setting the standard, demonstrating that consistent, sustainable clinical excellence is achievable,” said Rick May, HealthGrades' vice president of clinical quality services and co-author of the study.
The hospitals on HealthGrades' list are in 28 cities in 19 states. The West Palm Beach, Fla. area leads the nation with six of these top-performing hospitals. Chicago and Cleveland come in next with four recognized hospitals each.
[See also: HealthGrades ranks top 50 cities for hospital care]
For the first time, HealthGrades also conducted a survey of CEOs from America's 50 Best Hospitals to find out what made them stand apart. Besides CPOE other factors that CEOs named were:
- transparency of clinical quality outcomes,
- positive operating margins,
- above average tenure of executive team, and
- investment in physician feedback and leadership development.
Click on the next page to see HealthGrades 50 Best Hospitals list for 2011:
America's 50 Best Hospitals 2011 by city/state:
Baltimore, MD
- Franklin Square Hospital Center
- Greater Baltimore Medical Center
- Good Samaritan Hospital
- Cedar Rapids, IA
- Saint Luke’s Hospital Cedar
Chattanooga, TN
- Memorial Healthcare System
Chicago, IL
- Evanston Hospital including: Highland Park Hospital, Glenbrook Hospital
- Skokie Hospital
- Alexian Brothers Medical Center
- Community Hospital
Cincinnati, OH
- St. Elizabeth Edgewood
- Christ Hospital
Cleveland, OH
- Summa Akron City and St. Thomas Hospitals
- Akron General Medical Center
- Marymount Hospital
- Hillcrest Hospital
Colorado Springs, CO
- Centura Health - Penrose St. Francis Health Services
Dayton, OH
- Grandview Medical Center
Detroit, MI
- Saint Mary Mercy Hospital
- Beaumont Hospital - Royal Oak, MI
- Beaumont Hospital – Troy, MI
Erie, PA
- Hamot Medical Center
- Eugene, OR
- Mercy Medical Center
- Flint-Saginaw, MI
- Genesys Regional Medical Center
Harrisburg, PA
- Lancaster General Hospital
Houston, TX
- Memorial Hermann Healthcare System – Southwest including Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital, Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital and Memorial Hermann the Woodlands Hospital
Jacksonville, FL
- Flagler Hospital Saint Augustine
Los Angeles, CA
- Glendale Memorial Hospital and Health Center
- Saint John's Health Center
New York, NY
- Hackensack University Medical Center
- Community Medical Center
Orlando, FL
- Munroe Regional Medical Center
- Central Florida Regional Hospital
- Ocala Regional Medical Center/West Marion Hospital
Panama City, FL
- Bay Medical Center
Philadelphia, PA
- St. Luke's Hospital - Bethlehem Campus including St. Luke's Hospital - Allentown Campus
- Lehigh Valley Hospital Allentown PA
Phoenix, AZ
- Banner Del E. Webb Medical Center
- Mayo Clinic Hospital
Raleigh, NC
- Rex Hospital
Richmond-Petersburg, VA
- Henrico Doctors' Hospital including Parham Doctors' Hospital, Retreat Doctors' Hospital
St. Louis, MO
- St. Luke's Hospital
Tampa, FL
- Sarasota Memorial Hospital
Traverse City, MI
- Munson Medical Center
W. Palm Beach, FL
- Martin Memorial Medical Center
- Boca Raton Regional Hospital
- Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center
- Lawnwood Regional Medical Center and Heart Institute
- Jupiter Medical Center
- Delray Medical Center
Wilkes Barre, PA
- Mercy Hospital Scranton
