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VALLEY BAPTIST-HARLINGEN RANKED #1 IN NATION FOR 2ND YEAR IN ROW FOR
HEART FAILURE MANAGEMENT
Harlingen, September 3, 2008 -- For the second
year in a row, life-saving care provided by employees and physicians
at Valley Baptist Medical Center-Harlingen has resulted in Valley
Baptist being ranked number one in the entire United States in the
treatment of heart failure, according to the federal government.
The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and Premier,
Inc. conduct the pay-for-performance demonstration project to reward
quality and performance among the nation’s hospitals. A total of 112
top-performing hospitals in the country will receive monetary bonus
rewards for treating heart failure patients. Valley
Baptist-Harlingen will receive $92,000 because of its superior
performance.
“Congratulations to all of the nurses, physicians, and quality
improvement professionals whose dedication to providing quality
patient care has once again made Valley-Baptist-Harlingen the very
best in the entire country in treating heart failure patients,” said
Dan McLean, Chief Executive Officer for Valley Baptist Medical
Center-Harlingen. “This outstanding achievement is something the
entire Rio Grande Valley can be proud of, and reflects the
commitment of our physicians and employees to save lives and to
improve the quality of life for each of our patients.”
Mr. McLean added that the government’s rankings are additional proof
that Valley residents have access to the “highest quality of
healthcare -- right here at home.”
Valley Baptist’s performance in heart failure management has
previously been noted in national publications such as Modern
Healthcare and U.S. News & World Report. The heart failure
management program at VBMC-Harlingen aims to prevent complications
in patients at risk for heart failure. The program includes
medication management, as well as education on diet and other
aspects of heart care.
Heart failure is a progressive condition in which the heart's muscle
becomes weakened because of a heart attack or high blood pressure.
The condition causes the heart to lose its ability to pump enough
blood to supply the body's needs. Heart failure affects thousands of
Valley residents and more than five million people across the
country – and kills 57,000 Americans every year. But with earlier
diagnosis and newer treatments, people with heart failure are able
to continue enjoying their everyday activities and have a more
normal life expectancy.
The government’s rankings of hospitals are based on “core measures”
that have been clinically proven to improve care for patients with
heart failure. These “best practice standards” for heart failure
include:
• Performing assessments of the function of the left ventricle of
the heart
• Using effective medications to treat patients with heart failure:
o ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme) inhibitors, or
o ARBs (angiotensin receptor blockers)
• Providing detailed discharge instructions to each patient
• Providing advice and counseling on how important it is to quit
smoking -- before the patient is discharged.
Valley Baptist has implemented ongoing quality improvement
initiatives which have focused on evidenced-based medical management
of heart failure patients. These improvements have resulted in fewer
patients returning to the Emergency Dept. In addition, those
patients who do return are doing so at an earlier stage, when
treatment is more effective. Improved management of these heart
conditions has also resulted in reduced length of stay in the
hospital and other improvements in patient outcomes.
Lower Mortality Rates
In addition to the top ranking for meeting core measures for heart
failure, Valley Baptist employees and physicians also recently
received national recognition for outstanding care which has led to
a lower mortality rate for heart failure patients when compared to
other hospitals across the country. Valley Baptist-Harlingen is one
of only three hospitals in Texas and 37 in the nation to be
recognized for having better mortality rates for heart failure than
the national average for the period 2006-2007. This information was
made public in August by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services (CMS) on its
Hospital Compare web site (www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov).
Subsequently, the information was listed on the website of
USA Today (www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-08-20-hospitals-best-worst_N.htm).
While the two studies look at the successful treatment of heart
failure from different perspectives, they both substantiate the fact
that VBMC-Harlingen is at the very top of any national list when it
comes to treating one of the most common reasons for admission to a
hospital: congestive heart failure.
For more information on improvements in the quality of care at
Valley Baptist, go to
www.ValleyBaptist.net and click on the button entitled “Our
Quality Results.”
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