UPMC Horizon recognized by The Joint Commission as one of the nation's top performers on key quality measures
FARRELL AND GREENVILLE, September 14, 2011– UPMC Horizon has been named one of the nation’s top performers on key quality measures by The Joint Commission, the leading accreditor of health care organizations in the United States.
The Joint Commission recognized UPMC Horizon based on data reported about evidence-based clinical processes that are shown to improve care for certain conditions, including heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia, and surgical care.
“We are honored to receive national recognition for our efforts in improving quality for our patients. The medical staff and all of our employees devote tremendous energy to ensuring the safest, most effective care possible at UPMC Horizon. Being recognized by the top hospital accreditation organization in the country is a wonderful validation of that hard work,” says Don Owrey, FACHE, UPMC Horizon president.
UPMC Horizon was one of only 405 hospitals in the country – and the only hospital in Mercer County – to earn the distinction of top performer on key quality measures for attaining and sustaining excellence in accountability measure performance. Inclusion on the list is based on a collection of accountability measure data reported to The Joint Commission during the previous calendar year. For example, this first recognition program is based on data reported in 2010.
To be recognized as a top performer on key quality measures, an organization must meet two 95 percent performance thresholds. First, the organization must achieve a combined performance of 95 percent or above after the results of all the accountability measures for which they report data to The Joint Commission were factored into a single score, including measures that had less than 30 percent eligible cases or patients. Second, the organization must meet or exceed a 95 percent performance target for every single accountability measure for which they report data, excluding any measures with less than 30 eligible cases or patients.
“Today the public expects transparency in the reporting of performance at the hospitals where they receive care, and The Joint Commission is shining a light on the top performing hospitals such as UPMC Horizon that have achieved excellence on a number of vital measures of quality care,” says Mark R. Chassin, MD, FACP, MPP, MPH, president, The Joint Commission.
This is the second time in recent weeks that UPMC Horizon has been recognized for quality care. Last month, the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP) recognized UPMC Horizon with a 2011 HAP Achievement Award for the hospital’s best practice in preventing hospital-acquired clostridium difficile.
In addition to being included in today’s release of The Joint Commission’s Improving America’s Hospitals annual report, UPMC Horizon will be recognized on The Joint Commission’s Quality Check web site: www.qualitycheck.org.