Truven Health’s 15 Best Health Systems in U.S.

Truven Health Analytics issued its annual list of the 15 Top Health Systems in the U.S. on April 20, 2015. Systems in Minnesota, Ohio and Indiana led the way.

Truven Health aggregates “rigorous analysis of individual hospital performance metrics into system-level data” to identify the 15 best health systems in the nation. The “quantitative study uses objective, independent research and public data sources.” Health systems do not apply for consideration, and winners do not pay to market their award.

The Winners

This year’s 15 Top Health Systems, placed into size categories by total operating expense, are:

Rising Above and Beyond

The key differences noted between award winners and their peers included:

• Saving more lives and causing fewer patient complications
• Following industry-recommended standards of care more closely
• Fewer patient safety errors
• Released patients one-half day sooner
• A 7% lower cost per care episode
• Scored nearly 7 points higher on the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey for overall patient rating of care
• Admitted Emergency Department (ED) patients nearly 17% faster
• Enabled ED patients to be seen by a healthcare professional 29% faster
• Administered pain medications to ED patients with broken bones 14% faster
• Had a median long-term debt to capitalization ratio that was 32% lower
• Had lower median 30-day readmission rates for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and stroke

New Performance Measures

Truven Health also introduced some new performance measures this year. While not used to rank system performance, the new measures go beyond the inpatient acute care setting to look at emergency department efficiency, extended outcomes, and the financial health of the system. The added measures are:

• Emergency department efficiency
• Stroke and blood clot prevention core measures
• 30-Day mortality rates for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and stroke
• 30-Day readmission rates for COPD and stroke
• Financial metrics

To survive in an industry challenged by a slow-to-improve national economy, increased competition, and a new set of rules imposed by reform, Truven Health noted that healthcare providers must deliver “ever-higher quality and become more efficient—doing more with potentially lower reimbursements.”

“Undoubtedly, our award winners are finding ways to succeed—defining best practices and continuing to demonstrate what can be accomplished in healthcare today.”

To read the entire 63-page rankings report, click here.