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July 9, 2009

Methodist Only Hospital In State to Rank Better than National Average in Latest Quality Ratings
When the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) updated its Hospital Compare Web site on July 9, one Omaha hospital stood out among most others in the state.

Methodist Hospital became one of the first hospitals in Nebraska to score above the top 2 percent nationally in any of the site’s quality measurement categories related to mortality.  Methodist ranks in the best 2 percent of the nation’s hospitals in mortality data for acute myocardial infarction (heart attack).

“We are obviously very proud that our mortality rate related to acute myocardial infarction care is among the best in the country,” said Anton Piskac, M.D., vice president of quality improvement for Methodist Health System.  “Because Hospital Compare rankings are based primarily on documented statistical information and patient surveys, it is the least biased survey of patient services available.”

The Hospital Compare Web site was created through the efforts of CMS and the Hospital Quality Alliance (HQA). According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Web site, Hospital Compare is a tool to compare how well hospitals care for patients with certain medical conditions or surgical procedures.

The data used to determine a hospital’s rating comes from six different sources, including:
  • CMS's Online Survey, Certification, and Reporting (OSCAR) database;
  • Clinical Quality Measures Data submitted to the QIO Clinical Warehouse;
  • The 30-day Risk-Adjusted Death (Mortality) Rates are produced using a complex statistical model that relies on Medicare claims and enrollment information;
  • The information for the survey of patients’ hospital experiences was collected and reported through MyQualityNet using the HCAHPS (Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems) survey;
  • The information for children’s asthma care measures is collected by The Joint Commission and is shared with CMS;
  • The Medicare inpatient hospital payment information and the number of Medicare patients treated (volume) for certain illnesses or diagnoses comes from Medicare claims.

“We are pleased to be one of the first hospitals in Nebraska to be ranked in the upper 2 percent in the nation and our cardiac team deserves the recognition for this accomplishment,” Piskac said.  “Mortality rates for all other service areas within Methodist Health System scored within the national average.  It is our hope that all future outcomes reflect that Methodist’s affiliates deliver among the best patient care in the country.”

For more information about our commitment to Quality, view our Quality site.

For more information on Hospital Compare or to view hospital rankings, go to www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov.

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