Many readers of this blog are aware that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently began publishing on its website comparative safety ratings for all of America’s hospitals including the hospital that is a part of the Hannibal Regional Healthcare System: Hannibal Regional Hospital.
These ratings evaluate hospitals on a number of factors including whether patients have experienced serious complications while being treated by the physicians and clinical team members within those hospitals.
The types of complications being reported by CMS include whether a patient contracted a bloodstream infection due to medical treatment, whether a patient developed a bedsore, received an accidental cut or tear during treatment, developed blood clots, had a collapsed lung or had a surgical wound that “opened” following surgery. All very unpleasant events to be certain and not an expected part of a course of hospital care.
The Hospital Compare website demonstrates that most hospitals in the United States experience similar rates of complications. And that’s good news. I am pleased to report that
Hannibal Regional Hospital’s results are no different than the U.S. National Rate. And the same results are reported for Blessing Hospital in Quincy, Illinois and Boone Hospital in Columbia, Missouri. Additionally, Audrain Medical Center in Mexico, Missouri, Illini Community Hospital in Pittsfield, Illinois, Pike County Memorial Hospital in Louisiana, Missouri, Lincoln County Medical Center in Troy, Moberly Regional Medical Center in Moberly, Northeast Regional Medical Center in Kirksville and the University of Missouri Health Care in Columbia, Missouri all reported complication rates that were no different than the U.S. National Rate. The only hospital in the region with Deaths for Certain Conditions, a Hospital Compare Patient Safety Measure, which was worse than the U.S. National Rate, was Keokuk Area Hospital.
Again, this is good news. Why? Because it means that the measures being taken by our region’s hospitals, with the exception of one, are producing patient safety results which are at least comparable to the results achieved by the great majority of America’s hospitals. Is there room for improvement? Certainly! And you may be comfortable in knowing that Hannibal Regional Healthcare System and Hannibal Regional Hospital remain committed to achieving patient safety results as well as outcome of care results which are better than the U.S. National Rate. After all, don’t you deserve it?
In good health,
John C. Grossmeier
President and Chief Executive Officer
Hannibal Regional Healthcare System