Mission Health named a Top 15 Health System in the Nation by Truven Health Analytics

For a remarkable fifth time in the past six years, Mission Health has been named once again one of the nation’s Top 15 Health Systems by Truven Health Analytics, an IBM Company and part of IBM Watson Health. The Truven Health study identifies the nation’s 15 best health systems based upon objective care quality standards and is the only study that aggregates both individual hospital and health system-level performance to allow health system leaders and consumers to identify and compare true leaders in clinical quality and efficiency. 

“Receiving this recognition for an unprecedented fifth time in six years recognizes our unwavering commitment to exceptional care, clinical excellence and evidence-based, standardized care and, most importantly, our dedication to the community we are so privileged to serve,” said Ronald A. Paulus, President and CEO of Mission Health. “Our physicians, nurses and other team members are simply extraordinary. Each strives to exceed our patients’ expectations and to improve every aspect of the care we provide to the people across western North Carolina. Our relentless focus on quality, safety and compassion has resulted in outstanding care for our patients and the ongoing pursuit of our BIG(GER) Aim: to get each person to their desired outcomes, first without harm, also without waste and always with an exceptional experience for each person, family and team member.” 

The winning health systems were announced in the April 22 edition of Modern Healthcare magazine. 

Mortality rates at the top-performing systems were 13.4% lower than their peers and complication rates were 8.5% lower. The average length of stay was 10.2% shorter and wait times in the emergency department were 17.5% shorter compared with the benchmark. Mission Health has consistently outperformed other local, regional and national providers by saving more lives and causing fewer complications, following industry-recommended standards of care more closely, making fewer patient safety errors and scoring better on overall patient satisfaction. 

The Truven Health analysis is an objective, quantitative IBM Watson study that identifies 15 health systems with the highest achievement on clinical performance, efficiency and patient satisfaction based on Truven’s 100 Top Hospitals National Balanced Scorecard methodologies. For the 2017 rankings, Mission Health was part of 337 health systems in the study — almost every U.S. system with two or more acute-care member hospitals, including critical access hospitals. Truven’s researchers analyze public information, including Medicare cost reports, Medicare Provider Analysis and Review (MedPAR) data, and core measures and patient satisfaction data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Compare website. 

Previously, Mission Health has received this esteemed recognition for the four consecutive year period of 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. No other health system in America has achieved this recognition in four consecutive years.