For the third consecutive year, Tanner Health System as placed among the nation’s 15 Top Health Systems, according to a report by research firm Truven Health Analytics.
It’s also the fourth time in five years that Tanner has earned the distinction. The health system earned the honor in 2012, 2014 and 2015. No other health system in Georgia or Alabama placed among the 15 Top Health Systems. Only four other health systems in the nation have achieved 15 Top Health Systems status as many times as Tanner.
Truven Health Analytics, an IBM Company, is a provider of healthcare data and analytics solutions and is popular for its annual 100 Top Hospitals list. This is the eighth year Truven has released its 15 Top Health Systems report.
“This is a tremendous honor for Tanner,” said Loy Howard, president and CEO of Tanner Health System. “It wouldn’t be possible without the commitment we see every day from our medical staff, our clinical team and all our team members. Truven is one of the most significant indicators of quality and value that you’ll find in the healthcare industry. Placing among the nation’s top 15 — not just this year, but repeatedly over the past five years as well — demonstrates our commitment to providing an exemplary level of care and standing among the nation’s leaders, and to do so consistently.”
All U.S. health systems with two or more short-term, general, nonfederal hospitals; cardiac, orthopedic and women’s hospitals; and critical-access hospitals were assessed in Truven’s study.
The 15 Top Health Systems study for 2016 evaluated 338 health systems and 2,912 member hospitals to identify the 15 U.S. health systems with the highest overall achievement on a balanced scorecard. The scorecard is based on Truven’s 100 Top Hospitals national balanced scorecard methodologies and focuses on five performance domains: inpatient outcomes, process of care, extended outcomes, efficiency and patient experience. The study relied on public data from the 2013 and 2014 Medicare Provider Analysis and Review (MedPAR) data, CMS Hospital Compare datasets and 2014 Medicare cost reports.
Among the key findings in this year’s study: winning health systems achieved higher survival rates and fewer errors at a lower overall treatment cost than non-winning health systems. Overall mortality rates were 14.7 percent lower for winning health systems versus non-winning peer group hospitals; complication rates were 15.1 percent lower and emergency department wait times were 12.3 percent lower.
The 15 Top Health System winners spent 5 percent less per care episode than non-winning peer systems, discharged patients from the hospital a half-day sooner than non-winners and attained average Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) scores that were 7 percentage points higher than non-winning peers.
Jean Chenoweth, senior vice president for performance improvement and 100 Top Hospitals programs at Truven Health Analytics, said the top-performing health systems were those who had instituted a comprehensive approach to care throughout their organizations.
“These 15 top-performing health systems prove that quality and efficiency can improve across entire systems, regardless of their size,” said Chenoweth. “It is clear from our data that many hospital systems have been able to implement a consistent, coordinated approach to quality improvement in the areas that matter most to patients and that is scalable across member hospitals.
Howard agreed, saying that building a consistent level of quality care throughout the health system is one way Tanner distinguishes itself.
“Building an environment where the focus on quality extends comprehensively to four inpatient care facilities is a huge feat,” said Howard. “It means that our patients can expect to receive the best care possible whether they’re choosing a Tanner facility in Bremen, Villa Rica or Carrollton. All our facilities are performing at the top of the industry.”
“Year after year, the 100 Top program identifies the top performing hospitals and health systems,” said Mike Boswood, Truven president and CEO. “As health care evolves and value replaces volume, this program is increasingly important to help identify what constitutes quality.”
The Truven list is divided into three categories based on the winning organizations’ total operating expenses. Tanner placed in the Small Health Systems category.
“Health care has always been a competitive industry, but the growing trend toward transparency and accountability is helping patients make educated decisions about their care,” said Howard. “Truven’s list isn’t based on an award that we applied for or some nomination we made; it’s based on publicly reported quality data that’s out there for anyone to look at, for anyone to review, to help make the right choice concerning their care. Our physicians, nurses, therapists and everyone else at Tanner has been committed to leading the nation in quality. Our placement among the nation’s top health systems cements the reputation we’ve built one patient at a time.”
More information about the Truven announcement is available online at http://100tophospitals.com/. To view Truven’s complete report and findings, visit: http://100tophospitals.com/portals/2/assets/15-Top-Health-Systems-Study.pdf (please note that this is a .pdf file).
Tanner Health System features a medical staff of more than 300 physicians representing 34 medical specialties. In addition to its hospitals, Tanner also operates Tanner Medical Group, one of metro Atlanta’s largest multi-specialty physician groups as ranked by the Atlanta Business Chronicle. More information on Tanner’s quality metrics can be found online at www.TannerQuality.org. To find a physician on Tanner’s medical staff, call 770.214.CARE or visit www.tanner.org.