Affinity Health System named one of the nation’s top 57 health systems
Affinity makes list for three years in a row
06 / 07 / 2011
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Maria Nelson, Media Relations
Affinity Health System
(920) 720-1752
(920) 554-0686 (pager)
MENASHA, Wis. - Affinity Health System has been named one of the nation’s top 57 health systems based on clinical performance according to Thomson Reuters, a leading provider of information and solutions to improve the cost and quality of health care.
Thomson Reuters’ third annual 100 Top Hospitals: Health System Benchmarks Study evaluated 285 health systems on measures of clinical quality and efficiency. The study was released exclusively to Modern Healthcare and the top 57 represent the top 20 percent of the systems studied.
"We are proud to once again be named part of the top quintile of health care systems in the nation," said Daniel E. Neufelder, president and CEO, Affinity Health System. "As we enter the era of health care reform, Affinity is well positioned to deliver personalized care and the highest level of clinical quality. Our integrated health system is able to demonstrate value to employers as they determine the best investment of their health care dollars."
Affinity has a number of policies, processes and practices in place to ensure the highest level of clinical quality and patient safety. A few examples of these processes include:
- Revised documentation processes that guide the care team in providing the highest quality and patient safety
- Implementation of the electronic health record
- Chronic disease management of congestive heart failure, asthma and anti-coagulation clinics
- Automatic referrals to smoking cessation programs for smokers
- A protocol for patients in anticoagulation therapy to reduce the potential for adverse effects
- A fall prevention program that identifies patients at risk for falls and implements fall prevention strategies to help patients stay safe
- A bedside medication verification system
- A rapid response team aimed at keeping patients out of the intensive care unit
- Care practices organized around the prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia and other infections
- Care practices organized around the prevention of pressure ulcers
- Patient care rounding to support patient satisfaction, clinical quality and patient safety efforts
According to Modern Healthcare, the Thomson Reuters study evaluated 285 systems, comprised of 1,944 hospitals. To be included in the study, systems had to have at least two acute-care hospitals with a minimum of 25 beds each. The systems were ranked on eight measures of clinical quality, efficiency and patient satisfaction including: mortality, medical complications, patient safety, average length of stay, 30-day mortality and readmission rates, use of evidence-based practices and patient survey data.
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For the Editor:
Affinity Health System, a faith-based regional health care network, is the Fox Valley’s second-largest employer, according to the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce & Industry. For the fourth consecutive year, Affinity has been named one of the nation’s top 64 health systems based on clinical performance according to Thomson Reuters, a leading provider of information and solutions to improve the cost and quality of health care. For ten consecutive years, Affinity Health System has been named to the SDI (formerly Verispan) Integrated Health Network Top 100, an annual assessment of the 100 most highly integrated health care networks in the nation. Both St. Elizabeth Hospital in Appleton and Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh rank among the top 1 percent of hospitals nationwide in terms of quality and efficiency, as determined by the 2007 Premier | CareScience Select practice National Quality Award. Members of Affinity include Mercy Medical Center and Mercy Health Foundation, Oshkosh; St. Elizabeth Hospital and the St. Elizabeth Hospital Foundation, Appleton; Affinity Medical Group, a regional network of 25 family practice and specialty clinics – 22 of which are recognized as NCQA Level III medical homes, the highest level of recognition – in 14 communities; Calumet Medical Center, Chilton; and Affinity Occupational Health.