Aria Health Earns "Top Performer on Key Quality Measures®" Recognition from The Joint Commission (TJC)

PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 30, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Aria Health today was named Top Performer on Key Quality Measures^® by The Joint Commission, the leading accreditor of health care organizations in America.  Aria was recognized by The Joint Commission for exemplary performance in using evidence-based clinical processes that are shown to improve care for certain conditions. The clinical processes focus on care for heart attack, pneumonia, surgery, children's asthma, stroke and venous thromboembolism, as well as inpatient psychiatric services. New this year is a category for immunization for pneumonia and influenza.

Aria is one of 1,099 hospitals in the U.S. earning the distinction of Top Performer on Key Quality Measures for attaining and sustaining excellence in accountability measure performance. Aria was recognized for its achievement on the following measure sets: Heart Attack, Heart Failure, Pneumonia, and Surgical Care. The ratings are based on an aggregation of accountability measure data reported to The Joint Commission during the 2012 calendar year. The list of Top Performer organizations increased by 77 percent from last year and it represents 33 percent of all Joint Commission-accredited hospitals reporting accountability measure performance data for 2012.

Aria and each of the hospitals that were named as a Top Performer on Key Quality Measures must: 1) achieve cumulative performance of 95 percent or above across all reported accountability measures; 2) achieve performance of 95 percent or above on each and every reported accountability measure where there are at least 30 denominator cases; and 3) have at least one core measure set that has a composite rate of 95 percent or above, and within that measure set all applicable individual accountability measures have a performance rate of 95 percent or above. A 95 percent score means a hospital provided an evidence-based practice 95 times out of 100 opportunities. Each accountability measure represents an evidence-based practice – examples include giving aspirin at arrival for heart attack patients, giving antibiotics one hour before surgery, or providing a home management plan of care for children with asthma.

"Aria Health and all the Top Performer hospitals have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to quality improvement and they should be proud of their achievement," says Mark R. Chassin, MD, FACP, MPP, MPH, president and chief executive officer, The Joint Commission. "We have much to celebrate this year. Nearly half of our accredited hospitals have attained or nearly attained the Top Performer distinction. This truly shows that we are approaching a tipping point in hospital quality performance that will directly contribute to better health outcomes for patients."

"At Aria, our mission is to provide exceptional care to every patient, every time," says Kathleen Kinslow, CRNA, EdD, MBA, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Aria Health.   "That's why we have made a commitment to accreditation and to positive patient outcomes through evidence-based care processes. Aria is proud to receive the distinction of being a Joint Commission Top Performer on Key Quality Measures."

In addition to being included in today's release of The Joint Commission's "Improving America's Hospitals" annual report, Aria will be recognized on The Joint Commission's Quality Check website (www.qualitycheck.org). The Top Performer program will be featured in the December issues of The Joint Commission Perspectives and The Source.

SOURCE Aria Health