HOUSTON, June 28, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- The Texas Health Care Quality Institute today has awarded Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center, Memorial Hermann Northwest, Memorial Hermann Katy, Memorial Hermann Sugar Land, and Memorial Hermann The Woodlands its Quality Improvement Award, the highest honor given by the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization for Texas. Memorial Hermann Southeast earned the Quality Improvement Achievement Award.
The awards recognize hospitals that are active in quality improvement and that have made the required improvement on a composite scoring system, the appropriate care measure (ACM). The ACM consists of ten measures: five acute myocardial infarction (heart attack), two heart failure, and three pneumonia measures that have been designated as national health care priorities by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Joint Commission, the nation's predominant independent, non-profit, standards-setting and accrediting body in health care. To earn the Award of Excellence, a hospital had to achieve or maintain performance between 90 and 100 percent.
To achieve its performance goals, interdisciplinary teams of hospital employees and medical staff physicians employed nationally recognized standards to ensure that patients receive consistent, high quality medical care.
"We are focused on achieving these national standards because they improve outcomes for our patients," said Memorial Hermann Chief Quality Officer Michael Shabot, M.D. "We're proud to have qualified to receive this distinguished award, and we will continue to enhance our quality improvement efforts through our collaboration with TMF Health Quality Institute."
Tom Manley, CEO of the Health Quality Institute noted: "With this significant achievement, it is clear these hospitals are focused on providing the highest quality care to their patients. They recognize quality improvement is not about data, but about people. These hospitals demonstrate they are dedicated to ensuring all patients receive the right care at the right time, every time."
TMF established the award program in partnership with Texas Hospital Association, Texas Medical Association, Texas Organization of Rural & Community Hospitals and Texas Osteopathic Medical Association. Out of more than 390 eligible Texas hospitals, 63 have met the criteria and have been presented with the Texas Health Care Quality Improvement Award of Excellence and 25 were presented with the Quality Improvement Achievement Award. Hospitals receiving these awards were recognized at a special ceremony in Austin on June 28.
For more information on the award program, see the TMF Health Quality Institute Awards Web site at http://award.tmfhqi.net.
About Memorial Hermann Healthcare System
An integrated health system, Memorial Hermann is known for world-class clinical expertise, patient-centered care, leading edge technology, and innovation. The System, with its exceptional medical staff and 19,000 employees, serves southeast Texas and the greater Houston community. Memorial Hermann's 14 hospitals include three hospitals in the Texas Medical Center, three heart institute locations and eight suburban hospitals. The System also operates numerous imaging, sports medicine and rehabilitation, and surgery centers, a Wellness Center, a chemical dependency treatment center, a home health agency, a retirement community and a nursing home. To learn more, visit www.memorialhermann.org or call 713-222-CARE.
The Memorial Hermann logo is available at http://www.primenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=3095
About TMF
TMF Health Quality Institute, formerly Texas Medical Foundation, is an Austin-based nonprofit consulting company focused on promoting quality health and health care through contracts with federal, state and local governments, as well as private organizations. TMF partners with health care providers in a variety of settings to ensure that every person receives the appropriate care, every time. www.tmf.org