North Mississippi improves trauma and neurosurgery patient outcomes
For more information
Call the Informatics Solution Center at 800.805.4608 or e-mail
InformaticsSolutionCenter@
Premierinc.com
With 650 beds, North Mississippi Medical Center (NMMC) is flagship of the third-largest rural healthcare system in the U.S. Headquartered in Tupelo; it serves 22 counties in north Mississippi and northwest Alabama. Recognized for its quality patient care, NMMC has received numerous awards including the 2006 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in the healthcare category.
Situation:
A routine review of Medicare data discovered that North Mississippi’s craniotomy patients had significant variances in outcomes. Intrigued by the data and the pending opportunity to improve efficiencies, staff used Quality Manager to probe for more detailed information, including outcomes by DRG, diagnoses, and procedures. They found that neurosurgery patients were experiencing above-average complication rates and longer-than expected LOS.
Solution:
Using Quality Manager and the philosophy of “care-based management of cost,” staff thoroughly investigated trauma and neurosurgery patient populations, identified root causes, and engaged a team of clinicians across departments to improve processes and treatment protocols.
Results:
Net results included:
- improved patient outcomes,
- increased staff satisfaction,
- reduced length of stay (LOS) and
- savings of more than $1.4 million for Medicare patients alone.
"Through the data provided in Quality Manager, I was able to partner with
physicians and clinical staff in the trauma and neurosurgery departments. We
worked as a team to identify areas for improvement and make treatment and
process changes based on real patient data. Now, having witnessed this
successful collaboration, other teams of clinicians are proactively enlisting
the Quality Department in the same, constructive way."
Bill Ricketts, RN
Surgical Services Outcomes Manager
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