VHI introduces 2009 industry report on efficient hospitals and nursing care facilities

Virginia Health Information (VHI) released its 2009 Industry Report: Virginia Hospitals and Nursing Facilities, which identifies the most efficient and productive hospitals, nursing facilities and other health care providers. The report contains important information for businesses and health care purchasers including data on providers' costs, profits and charity care.

The 2009 Industry Report also contains a Composite Efficiency and Productivity Score (CEPS) -- an overall efficiency ranking for hospitals which considers indicators on cost, productivity and utilization. "This new, composite efficiency score lends greater transparency to the value of the health care dollar," said Michael Lundberg, VHI Executive Director. The following hospitals achieved a CEP Score among the top ten percent of all hospitals in the state:

Riverside Walter Reed Hospital, Gloucester

Winchester Medical Center, Winchester

Bon Secours Memorial Regional Medical Center, Mechanicsville

Inova Fairfax Hospital, Falls Church

Sentara Bayside Hospital, Virginia Beach

Sentara Leigh Hospital, Norfolk

Virginia Hospital Center, Arlington

The CEP Score takes into consideration factors related to cost, productivity and utilization. However, the Industry Report contains a total of eighteen hospital indicators including charity care contributions, staffing levels, profit margins and average costs and payments per admission. Virginia hospitals continued their trend of increasing charity care, providing more than $1.4 billion dollars in uncompensated care to patients -- nearly four percent of gross patient revenue.

The Industry Report is targeted to the needs of employers and purchasers of health care, and the data has been used for more than a decade to help build networks and negotiate provider contracts. It was developed collaboratively among VHI, health care providers and principal investigator, Dr. Ramesh K. Shukla while at the Williamson Institute at Virginia Commonwealth University.