Higgins General Hospital in Bremen has been named to the highest category of the Georgia Hospital Association’s (GHA) Partnership for Health and Accountability Core Measures Honor Roll.
The facility, part of Tanner Health System, was among only 25 hospitals in the state to place in the Chairman’s category. Tanner Medical Center/Carrollton also placed in the Chairman’s category, and Tanner Medical Center/Villa Rica was among only 23 hospitals to place in the Trustee category, the second highest category in the honor roll.
The rankings were based on data collected from October 2012 to September 2013.
“We constantly strive to maintain the highest standard of patient care,” said Loy Howard, president and CEO of Tanner Health System. “This honor validates that and is a tribute to the dedication of the staff members who ensure that great patient care is made even better.”
Hospitals are required to submit care data to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which details how well a hospital’s caregivers adhere to a list of value-based purchasing core measures. These measures are the clinical processes of care that are known to be the most effective methods of treatment for surgical patients and patients who have suffered heart attacks, pneumonia and heart failure.
For instance, a recommended treatment to help prevent a heart attack is to take aspirin either before or upon arrival at the hospital, as well as at discharge. A suggested treatment for pneumonia is to administer an antibiotic within four hours of a patient’s arrival. It is recommended that surgery patients are given an antibiotic one hour prior to surgery to prevent infection. The Value-based Purchasing core measure is a composite measure that determines whether or not a patient received the right care at the right time. A hospital’s adherence to these recommended clinical practices usually leads to better outcomes.
“We are pleased to recognize Tanner’s commitment to patient safety,” said Earl V. Rogers, president of GHA. “Compliance with these important core measures ensures that every patient receives the best, most effective health care possible.”
The Partnership for Health and Accountability formed in January 2000. It is sponsored by GHA and serves as a unique statewide collaborative that brings together healthcare providers with community agencies and individuals to achieve healthy communities. The partnership includes representation from groups like hospitals, physicians, state health officials, legislators and businesses.
More information on Tanner Health System’s achievements on key quality measures can be found online at www.TannerQuality.org.