Reno hospital is Nevada’s highest rated on Joint Commission list
Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno was recognized Thursday as the only Nevada hospital that exceeded key quality measures last year related to treatments aimed at increasing the chances for healthy outcomes for patients.
The Joint Commission, the leading accreditor of U.S. health care organizations, on Thursday released its annual list of 1,224 top performing hospitals, which includes 15 in Nevada. In the Las Vegas Valley, St. Rose Dominican — Sienna campus, Centennial Hills, Southern Hills, Sunrise and MountainView hospitals were recognized in the commission’s annual report “America’s Hospitals: Improving Quality and Safety.” Mesa View Regional Hospital in Mesquite also made the top performing list.
Three Las Vegas psychiatric facilities, Red Rock Behaviorial Health and Montevista hospitals and Spring Mountain Treatment Center, also earned top performing status.
Renown exceeded the criteria of the commission for the report on top performers by collecting and reporting data on five core measure sets, more than the required four, and achieving a top performing rating on all of those sets: heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia, surgical care and children’s asthma.
The new report includes data from 3,300 Joint Commission-accredited U.S. hospitals, and 37 percent were top performers last year, an increase of 11 percent over the 1,099 recognized in 2012 and almost double the 620 hospitals in 2011, said Dr. Mark Chassin, the commission’s president. Chassin said the report shows more hospitals are giving patients the recommended treatments after heart attacks and heart failure, and during pneumonia care and surgery.
Renown CEO Greg Boyer said the designation was a testament to how staff members at his hospital have committed themselves to evidence-based practices, ensuring patient safety and maximizing the patient experience.
“The scores are a function of the people who work here,” Boyer said. “We’re creating a culture dedicated to patient care. We’re not doing this to get awards.”
The Joint Commission’s study comes two weeks after grades were assigned to hospitals based on safety and quality of care standards by the Leapfrog Group, a health care employer-funded nonprofit coalition that advocates for greater quality and safety.
Leapfrog’s Hospital Safety Score ranked 2,520 hospitals around the country using 28 metrics, from the number of doctors in intensive care units to hand hygiene to teamwork and training.
Hospitals that scored highest received an A grade, and two of Southern Nevada’s 13 facilities included in Leapfrog’s review qualified for top marks. The A’s went to St. Rose Dominican — de Lima campus, and Desert Springs Hospital, but neither hospital was recognized Thursday by the Joint Commission as a top performer.
St. Rose Dominican — Sienna campus, one of the top performers in the Joint Commission’s report, received a grade of C from Leapfrog. Brian Brannman, vice president of operations for the hospital’s parent company, Dignity Health Nevada, and CEO of the Siena facility, said he understands why the public might get confused when hospitals fare better on one survey than another.
The Joint Commission’s ratings are the gold standard for how hospitals gauge their success because the criteria used is statistically valid, thoroughly vetted and consistent, Brannman said. Hospital officials want to ensure that the standard of care is guided by evidence that points to improved patient outcomes.
“You want to be driven by the data,” he said. “You don’t want to be driven by whatever device manufacturer buys you the better lunch.”
Southern Hills Hospital achieved top performer designation from the Joint Commission for the fourth consecutive year, and fellow HCA facility MountainView was the only Southern Nevada hospital to get an A for a Leapfrog grade and a top performing rating from the commission.
Contact Steven Moore at 702-380-4563 or smoore@reviewjournal.com.
