CHARLESTON, S.C., April 19, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Lowcountry's only not-for-profit healthcare system, Roper St. Francis, is one of the top 15 hospital systems in the United States, according to a study that included the review of evidence-based metrics. In fact, the community hospital system has earned many of the highest awards and designations in the healthcare industry in the first business quarter of 2013. Roper St. Francis (RSF) was recently acknowledged in Modern Healthcare and Becker's Hospital Review, receiving national recognition for its quality, patient satisfaction and dedication to excellence.
Roper St. Francis was named to the Top 15 Hospital Health Systems list, compiled by Truven Health Analytics (formerly Thomson Reuters) and published in Modern Healthcare. The Truven Health 15 Top Health Systems study culled data from more than 300 organizations and singled out 15 hospital systems that achieved superior clinical outcomes based on a composite score of eight measures of quality, patient perception of care, and efficiency.
The study that helped to determine the ratings evaluated the following:
• Better Survival Rates: 15 Top Health Systems experienced 3.4 percent fewer deaths than non-winning peer-group hospitals.
• Lower 30-Day Mortality Rates: Winning systems 30-day mortality rates were lower than peer systems, and small winning systems outperformed their peers by the widest margin.
• Fewer Complications: Patients of the winning health systems had 3 percent fewer complications than patients in other systems.
• Shorter Hospital Stays: Patients treated in the winning system hospitals had a median average length of stay of 4.49 days, over half a day shorter than their peers median of 5.06 days.
• Better Patient Safety and Core Measure Adherence: Top health systems had 7 percent fewer adverse patient safety events than expected, given the case mix of the particular hospital, and had better adherence to core measures of care than their peers.
"We are on a continuous journey to deliver high quality, patient-centered, coordinated care and we welcome the transparency associated with our present progress," said Todd Shuman, MD, medical director of quality, Roper St. Francis. "Our organization gains valuable insight from the external assessment provided by organizations such as Truven. This national recognition is the result of hard work by all members of the Roper St. Francis family and provides knowledge that we are progressing in the proper direction to our vision of delivering the best outcome for every patient, every time."
In addition to the 15 Top Health Systems list, Becker's Hospital Review also named Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital to its 100 Great Hospitals in America list. The publication's editorial team analyzed data from reputable sources including U.S. News & World Report, Truven Health Analytics' 100 Top Hospitals, HealthGrades, Magnet Recognition by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, the Studer Group and the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program to establish the 2013 list.
With years and multiple areas of Joint Commission certification, Roper St. Francis continues to receive not only quality recognition but also recognition for its cost effectiveness. Earlier this year, Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital and Roper Hospital received these designations:
• BlueCross BlueShield – Roper Hospital Blue Distinction+ for spine surgery and for knee and hip replacement surgery
• Aetna – Roper Hospital Institute of Quality for Total Joint Replacement
• BlueCross BlueShield – Bon Secours St. Francis for spine surgery
For more information on other national recognition and awards received by RSF, please visit www.rsfh.com.
About Roper St. Francis Healthcare
Roper St. Francis Healthcare is the Lowcountry's only private, not-for-profit healthcare provider. The 657-bed system comprises more than 90 facilities and services in seven counties. Member hospitals include Roper Hospital, Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital and Roper St. Francis Mount Pleasant Hospital, each of which is accredited by The Joint Commission. Our active medical staff is made up of more than 800 board certified physicians. The group includes Roper St. Francis Physician Partners, an expansive network of more than 200 physicians who offer primary care and 20 subspecialties. Roper St. Francis Healthcare is routinely recognized for excellence in patient care by national organizations and agencies such as BlueCross BlueShield, the Commission on Cancer, National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers, Thomson Reuters, U.S. News & World Report, Consumer Reports and more. With more than 5,200 employees, RSFH is Charleston's largest private employer, and the system consistently scores in the superior category for patient and physician satisfaction. www.rsfh.com
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CONTACT:Colleen Cooney
843.708.1881
colleen.cooney@rsfh.com
