Tufts MC receives five-star rating

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Tufts Medical Center announced today it has received Vizient’s five-star rating for quality and the distinguished 2018 Bernard A. Birnbaum, MD, Quality Leadership Award. The award recognizes Tufts Medical Center as in the top 10 of participating academic medical centers nationwide, demonstrating superior quality and safety performance in more than 100 quality measures. The award was presented on Thursday, Oct. 4 during the 2018 Vizient Connections Summit held in Las Vegas.

“We are honored to receive this award and to be recognized as one of the very best academic medical centers in the U.S.,” said Deeb Salem, MD, Co-Interim CEO at Tufts Medical Center and Chair of the Department of Medicine. “This award is the result of outstanding effort day in and day out by our clinical and support staff which tirelessly and consistently put our patients first.”

This year, 99 academic medical centers, 100 complex teaching medical centers and 93 community hospitals were included in the Vizient Quality and Accountability Study which has been conducted annually since 2005. Vizient’s study measures data for safety, timeliness, effectiveness, efficiency, equity and patient centeredness – 112 measures in total. The award is based on how well academic medical centers like Tufts MC are caring for patients, including their overall outcomes, surgical infection and mortality rates and readmissions.

“This is an especially meaningful award because it looks at the measures that really matter in health care – the quality and safety of the care patients receive and the experience they have while receiving it,” said Terry Hudson-Jinks, RN, MSN, Co-Interim CEO at Tufts Medical Center and Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services. “Hospitals are under increasing pressure from consumers, employers, government and payers to rein in costs. At Tufts Medical Center, everyone is on the care team and all have worked hard to improve efficiency while always thinking ahead to what our patients need next, ensuring the best clinical outcomes possible. This award shows our strategy is working.”

Tufts Medical Center has received five stars, Vizient’s top honor, twice before, most recently in 2015. Tufts Medical Center is among an elite group of academic medical centers in the country, and the only one in New England, to earn five stars. Strong teamwork across Tufts MC’s entire organization propelled the Medical Center to the top after scoring four stars in 2017, improving in seven of nine measurement categories including: reducing surgical site infections and central line associated bloodstream infections; reducing length of stay, improving mortality and surgical complications rates; preventing avoidable readmissions and preventing patients from returning to the emergency department within 30 days of discharge. Specifically, Tufts MC improved quality by partnering with post-acute care facilities, working with palliative care clinicians, ensuring that patients have filled prescriptions when they go home, and making follow up calls and appointments, especially for high-risk patients.

The Vizient Quality and Accountability Study helps academic medical centers, complex teaching medical centers and community hospitals identify structures and processes associated with high performance in quality and safety across a broad spectrum of patient care activity. Tufts Medical Center is honored to be 10th among the 11 top-performing academic centers, including Mayo Rochester, Rush University, NYU Langone, University of Texas Galveston, University of Kansas, University of Pennsylvania, University of Utah Health, Houston Methodist, Memorial Hermann and Morristown.

“Today’s leading hospitals are leveraging advanced analytics and innovative technology to provide superior clinical outcomes and patient experiences and while effectively managing costs,” said Byron Jobe, president and chief executive officer for Vizient. “Receiving this award indicates that Tufts Medical Center has demonstrated a leadership style focused on results and a culture of collaboration and adaptability that is necessary to succeed during this time of change in the health care industry. We congratulate them on their achievement and commitment to delivering exceptional patient care.”

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About Tufts Medical Center
Tufts Medical Center is an exceptional, not-for-profit, 415-bed academic medical center that is home to both a full-service hospital for adults and Tufts Medical Center. Conveniently located in downtown Boston, the Medical Center is the principal teaching hospital for Tufts University School of Medicine. The Medical Center features a level one trauma center with rooftop helipad, the largest heart transplant center in New England and a renowned research program, ranking among the top 10 percent of independent hospitals to receive federal research funding. A physician network of 1,800 New England Quality Care Alliance doctors represents our strong commitment to health in the community. Tufts Medical Center is a founding member of Wellforce, along with Circle Health and Hallmark Health. For more information, visit www.tuftsmedicalcenter.org.

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