Home > Reducing Costs > Connect programs

Bon Secours Baltimore Health System improves AMI pay-for-performance scores

Bon Secours Baltimore Health System is part of a Bon Secours Health System, Inc., a health corporation sponsored by Bon Secours Ministries. The 125-bed hospital’s cares for patients and communities holistically through acute-care, ambulatory and community services. Tele-Heart is a state-of-the-art home health monitoring program for patients with congestive heart disease. Renal dialysis, mental health, physical therapy, and drug treatment are among comprehensive programs offered.

Situation:

Bon Secours Baltimore Health System (BHS) joined the Premier/CMS Hospital Quality Incentive Demonstration (HQID) project in 2003. Initial scores were disappointing. BSH failed to meet its internal targets during the first several quarters and was among the lowest 10 percent of participating hospitals for AMI care in 2004.

Solution:

Leadership adopted a broad-based, priority approach to improvement. In September 2004, the hospital's CEO launched an aggressive hospital-wide initiative to improve care. Premier consulting services were engaged to orchestrate organizational changes needed to improve care and raise HQID. Leadership instituted performance mandates with timelines for meeting specific goals.

Heads of clinical areas relevant to HQID core measures were required to endorse evidence-based medicine (EBM) practices and to monitor and address physician compliance.
Daily Executive Quality Rounds were instituted
The new chief medical officer addressed physician resistance to EBM
The medical staff president became "Physician Champion” for adopting EBM practice guidelines
The medical staff sanctioned physicians who failed repeatedly to comply with EBM practices
Nurses were engaged in HQID-related activities; core measures were adopted as indicators of nursing competency
Staff and physicians were educated about EBM practice guidelines
HQID data was compared to other Bon Secours hospitals to foster healthy competition

Results:

By the second quarter of 2005, the hospital achieved the top 40th percentile for AMI care, with quality scores of 95%, up from 53%.

Read or print the story (.pdf)

For more information please complete the form below. Tell us your interests and where we can e-mail you.

Your area or areas of interest

A clinical quality, safety and cost collaborative [QUEST®]

Accountable care organization collaboratives

Quality of clinical care and safety challenges

Challenges of managing and benchmarking labor

Safety and infection-related challenges including automated surveillance

Pharmacy programs and services

Revenue challenges: reimbursement, revenue cycle, RAC audits, etc.

Automating the value analysis process

Onsite management engineering services

Rapid supply chain performance improvements

Automated spend management decision-support

Clinical, financial, operational, supply chain and strategic consulting

Research services using the industry’s largest healthcare database

Insurance, including excess professional and general liability, professional liability, employee benefits and property/casualty

About you

Name:

E-mail address: *

Facility:

City:

State:

ZIP code:

Phone number (123.456.7890):

* = Required field.

Thanks for your interest in the Premier healthcare alliance!

Home | Reducing Costs | Improving Quality & Safety | Managing Risk | About Premier