Mercer Health was recently recognized by several agencies including the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), a part of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), The Chartis Center of Rural Health, the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH) and the Women’s Choice Awards. The recognition includes awards of excellence for top hospitals in the nation in regards to the quality of care, patient outcomes, patient safety and patient perspectives.
Mercer Health Receives Highest Safety Rating, Recognition as one of America’s Best Hospitals for Emergency Care and Patient Safety
Ranked in the top 1% in the nation for patient safety, Mercer Health’s Mercer County Community Hospital has been named a 2020 recipient of the Women’s Choice Award for Best Hospitals for Patient Safety. In addition, Mercer Health’s Mercer County Community Hospital has been named one of America’s Best Hospitals for Emergency Care by the Women’s Choice Award®, ranking in the top 8% of U.S. hospitals offering emergency care services.
The methodology for America’s Best Hospitals for Emergency Care award combines Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey results with primary research about women’s healthcare preferences and recognizes excellence in emergency care based on several process of care measures focused on time patients spent in the emergency department, including time to admission, time from admission to room and door to diagnosis. Criteria also includes the average time before patients with chest pain or a possible heart attack received an ECG, and the average time patients with broken bones had to wait before getting pain medication.
The methodology used to select Mercer Health’s Mercer County Community Hospital as one of America’s Best Hospitals for Patient Safety evaluates 11 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) measures of infections and complications, Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey results along with primary research about women’s healthcare preferences. It is the only award recognizing excellence in patient safety based on robust criteria that consider patient satisfaction and clinical excellence. In addition, hospitals must also use an Inpatient Safe Surgery Checklist to assess effective communication and safe practices during three perioperative periods: prior to administration of anesthesia; prior to skin incision; and prior to the patient leaving the operating room or procedural area.
Mercer Health’s Mercer County Community Hospital is one of 336 award recipients representing the hospitals that have met the highest standards for emergency care in the U.S. by the Women’s Choice Award and one of 379 award recipients representing the hospitals that have met the highest standards for patient safety in the U.S. by the Women’s Choice Award.
Mercer Health obtains 5-star Rating, one of 407 in the United States
Mercer Health’s Mercer County Community Hospital is one of 407 hospitals in the United States and only 23 in Ohio to receive a five-star rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in a recent release of data. CMS released its Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings in January, reporting on measures from more than 4,500 hospitals. Star ratings range from one to five, with the majority falling in the three- and four-star range. The ratings are based on seven areas – mortality, readmission, safety of care, patient experience, efficient use of medical imaging, timeliness of care, and effectiveness of care. Each area has numerous indicators included and scored. According to CMS, the four measures with the most weight are mortality, safety, readmission and patient experience.
“Our staff is always striving to provide the best care to the community,” said Lisa Klenke, CEO at Mercer Health. “It is their dedication and compassion that should be recognized.”
The Star Rating was launched in July 2016 as a way to summarize quality information in a consumer-friendly format. The measures are reported and explained on Hospital Compare on the CMS web site.
Mercer Health receives 2019 Performance Leadership Award in the areas of Quality, Outcomes and Patient Perspective
Mercer Health was also recently recognized by The Chartis Center of Rural Health and the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH) for overall excellence in Quality, Outcomes and Patient Perspective. Based on the results of the Hospital Strength INDEX from iVantage Health Analytics, the Performance Leadership Awards reflect top quartile performance among all rural hospitals in the United States.
“Rural healthcare plays a vital role in rural communities. We recognize the dedication and hard work that goes into overcoming the unique healthcare challenges that exist across rural America,” said Teryl Eisinger, Chief Executive Officer, NOSORH. “We are proud of the work of the State Offices of Rural Health, their partners and rural hospitals do to improve care across the nation.”
The National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH) was established in 1995 to assist State Offices of Rural Health in their efforts to improve access to, and the quality of, health care for America’s 57 million rural citizens. NOSORH enhances the capacity of SORHs to do this by supporting the development of state and community rural health leaders; creating and facilitating state, regional and national partnerships that foster information sharing and spur rural health-related programs/activities; and enhancing access to quality healthcare services in rural communities.
The Chartis Group® (Chartis) provides comprehensive advisory services and analytics to the healthcare industry. With an unparalleled depth of expertise in strategic planning, performance excellence, informatics and technology, and health analytics, Chartis helps leading academic medical centers, integrated delivery networks, children’s hospitals and healthcare service organizations achieve transformative results.