South Texas Health System Receives Texas Health Care Quality Improvement Award

TMF established the awards program in partnership with The Texas Hospital Association, Texas Medical Association, Texas Organization of Rural & Community Hospitals and Texas Osteopathic Medical Association.

TMF evaluates hospitals for improved patient care related for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) or heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia and surgical care. These clinical areas have been designated as national health care priorities by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and The Joint Commission, an independent nonprofit, standards-setting and accrediting body in health care. These CMS/Joint Commission priority areas were targeted because they measure care for common, serious health conditions that affect all adult patients. The quality measures-such as an initial antibiotic dose within four hours of admission for patients with pneumonia-are designed to ensure hospitals provide care consistent with current medical guidelines.

The awards recognize hospitals that are active in quality improvement and have made the required improvement on a composite scoring system, called the Appropriate Care Measure (ACM). For acute care hospitals, the ACM consists of 24 quality indicators: eight AMI, four heart failure, seven pneumonia and five surgical care measures. Critical access hospitals used an ACM score based on 11 quality indicators: four heart failure and seven pneumonia measures.

"To achieve this recognition, we had to demonstrate significant improvement across several national quality measures. Our success illustrates our commitment to patient safety and to delivering quality health care" said Kay Vogel, Director of Quality at South Texas Health System. "It was a significant amount of work, but well worth it because it was the right thing to do for our patients."

Only 27of 227 participating hospitals in Texas met the criteria to receive the Texas Health Care Quality Improvement Award of Excellence. Sixty-six hospitals were received the Quality Improvement Achievement Award. The awards were presented at a special ceremony in Austin on August 27.

"As a nonprofit consulting company focused on promoting quality health and health care, TMF is proud to recognize these hospitals for promoting quality improvement activities and their senior management for promoting a quality culture," said Tom Manley, CEO of TMF Health Quality Institute. "Quality improvement is a complex and demanding process and we thank South Texas Health System for their commitment to improving the health of Texans and the efficiency of health care in our state."

To qualify for the Quality Improvement Achievement Award, a hospital had to attain a minimum 80 percent score for the Appropriate Care Measure, and meet all other awards requirements. These included passing validation of three quarters of data (quarters 1-3, 2008), having mortality scores within the projected range and submitting the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Survey (HCAHPS) data. (Data for mortality rates and HCAHPS are not available for critical access hospitals and, therefore, were not part of the awards criteria for these hospitals.)

"We know that using proven standards of care can save lives," said Vogel. "We will continue to enhance our quality improvement efforts through our collaboration with partners and with TMF Health Quality Institute to ensure that every person gets the right care at the right time, every time."

For more information on the awards program, see the TMF Health Quality Institute awards Web site.

About TMF
TMF Health Quality Institute is an Austin-based nonprofit consulting company focused on promoting quality health and health care through contracts with federal, state and local governments, as well as private organizations. TMF partners with health care providers in a variety of settings to ensure that every person receives the appropriate care, every time. www.tmf.org