University HealthSystem Consortium awards UH Case Medical Center the 2009 Quality Leadership Award

1 of 5 academic medical centers to win UHC 2009 Quality Leadership Award

University Hospitals (UH) Case Medical Center is one of five academic medical centers in the nation to receive the 2009 Quality Leadership Award from the University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC). The prestigious award is given to teaching hospitals that demonstrate excellence in delivering high-quality care, as measured by the UHC Quality and Accountability Study conducted annually since 2005.

This year, 93 member hospitals were ranked by UHC, a national organization representing more than 90 percent of the nation's nonprofit academic medical centers. UHC's distinctive study measured hospitals' performance using the Institute of Medicine's six domains of care-safety, timeliness, effectiveness, efficiency, equity, and patient centeredness.

The award was presented Oct. 1 at the UHC's ninth annual Quality and Safety Fall Forum in Atlanta, Ga.

"We are proud of this extraordinary achievement which reflects University Hospitals' ongoing commitment to quality and safety for our patients," said Fred C. Rothstein, M.D., President of UH Case Medical Center. "This is an exceptional recognition when you consider that academic medical centers across the country participated in the survey. We are pleased that the excellence of our health care providers and staff was recognized by this prestigious organization of peer institutions."

"National recognition is well deserved for these organizations that have distinguished themselves as high-performing organizations in a complex environment. I salute the top performers and extend congratulations to all academic medical center leaders and employees who daily demonstrate a passion for improving patient care and operational effectiveness," said UHC President and Chief Executive Officer Irene M. Thompson.

UHC examined data provided by member hospitals through its comparative clinical, operational, and core measures data bases and reviewed additional source data from the publicly reported Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey.

Other hospitals recognized this year in addition to UH Case Medical Center:

• Methodist Hospital-A Clarian Health Partner, Indianapolis
• Rush University Medical Center, Chicago
• University Medical Center, Tucson
• The University of Kansas Hospital Authority, Kansas City

"As an organization, UHC is committed to improving members' performance. Through this study, we are able to determine what structures and practices are associated with excellent performance across an AMC," said Mark Keroack, M.D., M.P.H., Chief Medical Officer and Vice President of the UHC Clinical Practice Advancement Center. Dr. Keroack, with others at UHC, developed the study approach and has conducted several organizational development workshops for UHC members across the country.

He is the lead author of "Organizational Factors Associated With High Performance in Quality and Safety in Academic Medical Centers," published in the December 2007 issue of Academic Medicine. The critical success factors first identified in that study are a shared sense of purpose throughout the organization, leadership style, an accountability system, a focus on results, and a collaborative culture.