FirstHealth Moore Regional named one of nation’s best hospitals
| Date Posted: 3/3/2016
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David J. Kilarski |
PINEHURST – FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital was named one of the nation’s 100 top hospitals in a recent industry study conducted by Truven Health Analytics, a national health care information company. Hospitals do not apply to be considered a Top 100 Hospital, nor do hospitals have to pay to promote this award.
For two decades, Truven’s study has evaluated hospitals on measures of overall organizational performance, including patient care, operational efficiency, financial stability and patient perception of care. The Truven Health 100 Top Hospitals is the most comprehensive and academically driven study of its kind. It evaluates performance in 11 areas, addressing inpatient mortality; 30-day mortality rate; complications; core measures; 30-day risk-adjusted readmission rate; severity-adjusted average length of stay; mean emergency room throughput; inpatient expense per discharge; Medicare spend per beneficiary; adjusted operating profit margin; and Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) score (patient rating of overall hospital performance).
Moore Regional Hospital, listed under the category of large community hospitals, is the only community hospital in North Carolina recognized by Truven. One other North Carolina hospital, Carolinas Medical Center – Mercy, is listed under the teaching institution category.
The 385-bed flagship hospital of FirstHealth of the Carolinas, Moore Regional received a similar designation in 1995, 2004 and 2005. Moore Regional was also recognized as a Top 50 Hospital for cardiovascular care by Truven just last month.
“I am extremely proud of the staff at Moore Regional Hospital,” said David J. Kilarski, CEO of FirstHealth of the Carolinas. “The board, management, employees and medical staff have worked very hard to adjust and change in a new era of health care delivery. They all should be commended for this honor. It is quite an achievement. Everyone associated with our hospital system has proven that transformation and innovation are part of their daily routine. And, most importantly, our patients and their families benefit from their dedication and perseverance.”
Based on the results of this year’s study, if all Medicare inpatients received the same level of care as those treated in the award-winning facilities, such as Moore Regional Hospital:
● Nearly 104,000 additional lives could be saved
● Nearly 48,400 additional patients could be complication-free
● More than $2 billion in inpatient costs could be saved
● The typical patient could be released from the hospital one-half day sooner and would have 2 percent fewer expenses related to the complete episode of care than the median patient in the U.S.
● Nearly 245,000 fewer discharged patients would be readmitted within 30 days
● Patients would spend 10 minutes less in hospital emergency departments per visit
Key performance benchmarks for 100 Top Hospitals award winners when compared with their peers include:
● Better Survival Rates: As a group, 100 Top Hospitals had 23 percent fewer deaths than expected considering patient severity.
● Fewer Patient Complications: Patients at winning hospitals had 21 percent fewer complications than expected considering patient severity.
● Lower 30-Day Mortality and Readmission Rates: Mean 30 day mortality and readmission rates were lower at winning hospitals than non-winning hospitals across all comparison groups.
● Shorter Length of Stay: Winning hospitals had a median severity-adjusted length of stay that was a half-day shorter than peers.
● Higher Profit Overall Margins: Winning hospitals had a median operating profit margin that was nearly nine percentage points higher than non-winning hospitals.
"This honor proves what we have known for quite a while,” said Kilarski, “that there is no need for patients in our region to look beyond Moore County for the highest quality health care in North Carolina.”
