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Study Ranks Spectrum Health Among Nation’s Top 100 Hospitals

A recent study recognized Spectrum Health as one of the best hospitals in the country for the sixth time in 10 years.

Spectrum Health was included on the list of Thomson Healthcare’s 100 Top Hospitals for 2007 (formerly Solucient 100). This distinction is awarded as a result of the organization’s annual “National Benchmarks for Success” study which examines changing performance levels in U.S. hospitals and objectively identifies 100 benchmark hospitals based on their overall organizational performance. The winners were announced in the March 17, 2008 issue of Modern Healthcare magazine.

“Spectrum Health continues to be recognized for its dedication and commitment to excellent patient care,” said Matt VanVranken, executive vice president, Spectrum Health/president, Spectrum Health Grand Rapids. “Our focus on providing high quality care while remaining in the lowest quartile of cost translates into great value for West Michigan.”

The Thomson study ranks hospitals based on their performance in eight key clinical and financial areas: risk-adjusted mortality, risk-adjusted complications, patient safety composite, average core measures scores, severity-adjusted average length of stay, expense per adjusted discharge, profit from operations and cash-to-debt ratio.

The 100 Top Hospitals have higher survival rates, keep more patients complication-free, and have lower expenses-all while maintaining financial stability. Thomson Healthcare estimates that if all Medicare inpatients received the same level of care as those in the 100 Top Hospitals winners:

  • more than 120,000 additional patients would survive each year
  • nore than 138,000 patient complications would be avoided annually
  • expenses would decline by an aggregate $6.2 billion a year
  • the average patient stay would decrease by more than half a day

Spectrum Health is a not-for-profit health system in West Michigan that offers a full continuum of care through its seven hospitals, more than 140 service sites and 560,000-member health plan, Priority Health. Spectrum Health’s 14,000 employees, 1,500 medical staff members and 2,000 volunteers are committed to delivering the highest quality care to those in medical need. The organization provided $98.6 million in community benefit during its 2007 fiscal year. Spectrum Health has earned more than 50 national awards during the past 10 years.