Community Memorialis five-star-rated for knee replacement outcomes according to a study released by Healthgrades, an online resource for information about physicians and hospitals.
This achievement is included in the new findings and data featured in Healthgrades 2019 Report to the Nation. The report demonstrates how clinical performance continues to differ dramatically among hospitals regionally and nationally. Every year,Healthgrades evaluates hospital performance at almost 4,500 hospitals nationwide for 32 of the most common inpatient procedures and conditions and tracks outcomes in appendectomy and bariatric surgeries using all-payer data provided by 15 states and the District of Columbia.*
Variation in care has a significant impact on health outcomes. For example, from 2015 through 2017, if all hospitals as a group performed similarly to hospitals receiving five stars, then on average 222,210 lives could potentially been saved and 157,210, in-hospital complications could potentially been avoided.* A five-star rating indicates that Community Memorial’s clinical outcomes are statistically significantly better than expected, when treating the condition or performing the procedure being evaluated.
“Community Memorial Hospital and Hamilton Orthopaedic Surgery & Sports Medicine are well known as a destination for orthopedic care and joint replacement surgery,” said Sean Fadale, president, and CEO of Community Memorial. “High-quality care, excellent patient satisfaction scores, low infection rates and shorter inpatient days are the result of continued efforts by the two organizations to achieve excellence in patient care and outcomes as evidence by the five-star rating for knee replacement for the past 18 years.”
A commitment to excellence has resulted in two new initiatives to help patients achieve better outcomes and get back to living pain-free, active lives, Fadale said. One initiative is a series of joint orientation classes for patients who have committed to surgery at Community Memorial. The educational series in partnership with Hamilton Orthopaedic Surgery & Sports Medicine guides the patient through the process pre-surgery, surgery, hospital discharge and life after surgery.
The perspective and advice includes what to wear after surgery, how to prepare your home for the recovery process, sample exercises, how to care for your new joint and equipment and supplies you might need. There is no charge for the classes.
The second initiative is the launch of HealthLoop technology, an online platform where patients can stay in touch with their CMH care team to answer questions, address concerns and provide ongoing support throughout the joint replacement process.
“When patients are informed and understand what to expect from total joint replacement surgery, they have clearer expectations and goals,” said Kelly Coates RN, Director Case Management at Community Memorial Hospital. “This is an opportunity for the patient to play a more active role in their recovery, which results in better outcomes.”
“Clinical quality varies significantly among hospitals, so it is important for consumers to use information about outcomes to determine where to receive care,” said Brad Bowman MD, chief medical officer at Healthgrades. “This five-star rating for knee replacement showcases the expertise and commitment of Community Memorial for their patients.”
For more information, visit CommunityMemorial.org/services/orthopedics/ or contact Kelly Coates, R.N., director of case management at 315.824.6125 or KCoates@cmhhamilton.com.
For its analysis, Healthgrades evaluated approximately 45 million Medicare inpatient records for almost 4,500 short-term acute care hospitals nationwide to assess hospital performance in 32 common conditions and procedures, and evaluated outcomes in appendectomy and bariatric surgeries using all-payer data provided by 15 states and the District of Columbia. Healthgrades recognizes a hospital’s quality achievements for cohort-specific performance, specialty area performance, and overall clinical quality. Individual procedure or condition cohorts are designated as five-star (statistically significantly better than expected), three-star (not statistically different from expected) and one-star (statistically significantly worse than expected) categories. The complete Healthgrades 2019 Report to the Nation and detailed study methodology can be found at www.healthgrades.com/quality/.
* Statistics are based on Healthgrades analysis of MedPAR data for years 2015 through 2017 and represent three-year estimates for Medicare patients only.