Texas Health Care Quality Improvement Award Earned by Baylor Health Care System Hospitals
Contact: Susan Hall, (214) 820-1817Email: susanh@baylorhealth.edu
(DALLAS, June 7, 2007) - Seven hospitals within Dallas-based Baylor Health Care System will receive this year's Texas Health Care Quality Improvement Award, presented by TMF Health Quality Institute.
Hospitals receiving the award include Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas, Baylor Jack and Jane Hamilton Heart and Vascular Hospital, Baylor All Saints Medical Center at Fort Worth, Baylor Regional Medical Center at Grapevine, Baylor Medical Center at Irving, Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano and Baylor Medical Center at Waxahachie. A June 28 ceremony at the Hilton Hotel in Austin will honor award recipients.
The Texas Health Care Quality Improvement Award honors Texas hospitals that are performing quality initiatives aimed at improving outcomes in patient care by recognizing those hospitals that have improved their initial baseline performance on specific national quality measures.
"Baylor Health Care System's vision is to be the best place to give and receive safe, quality, compassionate health care," says Joel Allison, president and chief executive officer, Baylor Health Care System. "It's gratifying that seven Baylor hospitals received this quality award."
The award acknowledges hospitals for improving care related to acute myocardial infarction (heart attack), heart failure and pneumonia. These clinical areas have been designated as national health care priorities by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Joint Commission, the nation's predominant independent, non-profit, standards-setting and accrediting body in health care.
To qualify for an award, hospitals submitted a baseline measurement (second quarter of 2005) of their performance on the clinical measures. They then implemented process changes to improve their performance and re-measured, fourth quarter 2006, to see if they had maintained or improved their performance. Out of more than 390 eligible Texas hospitals, 63 have met the criteria and were awarded with the Texas Health Care Quality Improvement Award of Excellence.
TMF Health Quality Institute, the Medicare quality improvement organization for Texas, 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 Health Quality Institute, formerly Texas Medical Foundation, is an Austin, Texas-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.
Baylor Health Care System is a network of hospitals, primary care and specialty care centers, rehabilitation clinics, affiliated ambulatory surgery centers and the Baylor Research Institute. One of the largest private-sector employers in Dallas/Fort Worth, Baylor employs more than 16,000 people and has more than 2,700 physicians on its medical staffs. Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas, flagship hospital of the system, is a major patient care, teaching and research center for the Southwest. For fiscal year 2006, Baylor Health Care System reported $405.6 million in community benefit to the Texas Department of State Health Services.