So my plan was to just let this blog die since the purpose that this was initially designed to serve is no longer relevant. However, I've noticed a recent surge in traffic as the general public looks for hospital specific HCAHPS performance information in Indiana.

I have no idea how long I will continue this, but I'll have the most recent HCAHPS and other CMS posted quality information from Indiana posted in a few days/week.

Four of Seven Organizations Honored by The Partnership for Excellence are from Indiana!

On May 8, The Partnership for Excellence (TPE) announced its 2012 Award Winners. Of the 7 award recipients, 4 are from Indiana!

The Indiana organizations are:

• Citizens Energy Group (Indianapolis) - Platinum, Governer's Award for Excellence.
• Good Samaritan Hospital (Vincennes) - Silver, Commitment to Excellence.
• Westfield Washington Schools (Westfield) - Silver, Commitment to Excellence.
• Working Well, (Michigan City) - Bronze, Pledge to Excellence.

2012 is the first year that Indiana has had a local or regional Baldrige-based performance excellence award program. The Fall of this year is also the first time that Baldrige Examiner training will be offered in Indiana (VHA Central office, Indianapolis). Note that this training is to specifically serve TPE, not the national Baldrige program.

To learn more about TPE: http://www.thepartnershipforexcellence.org/
To learn more about Baldrige Examiner training offered by the TPE: http://www.thepartnershipforexcellence.org/doc/2012_Call_for_Examiners_03-13-12.doc

The full press release announcing the 2012 TPE Award Recepitants is here: http://www.thepartnershipforexcellence.org/html/press_releases/press_release_05-08-12_Award_Recipients_2012.htm

Joint Commission Publishes new Monograph about CLABSIs

On May 16th, the Joint Commission released a new Monograph reviewing the most recent evidence and thoughts surrounding Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections.

The free monograph can be downloaded here: http://www.jointcommission.org/assets/1/18/CLABSI_Monograph.pdf

Below is an excerpt from the press release announcing the free monograph (emphasis added in red):


New Monograph Aims to Decrease Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections (CLABSIs)

The Joint Commission, in collaboration with Joint Commission Resources (JCR) and Joint Commission International (JCI), developed a new monograph containing the most current information, evidence-based guidance and resources to help health care organizations reduce the current risks and resulting harm associated with CLABSI. JCR and JCI are not-for-profit affiliates of The Joint Commission. The monograph was produced in partnership with infection prevention leaders from the Society for Hospital Epidemiology of America (SHEA), the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. (APIC), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), the Association for Vascular Access (AVA), and the International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium (INICC). In addition, several other domestic and international infection prevention leaders from countries such as Argentina, Australia, Egypt, Switzerland, Thailand and Saudi Arabia have lent their expertise to the monograph.

“Recent patient safety initiatives have demonstrated how preventable CLABSIs can be when evidence-based guidelines are consistently put into practice at the bedside,” says Jerod M. Loeb, Ph.D., executive vice president, Division of Healthcare Quality Evaluation, The Joint Commission. “Our hope is that these resources will empower health care providers to implement practices that have been shown to not only improve patient safety, but also reduce costs.”

The project is supported by a research grant from Baxter Healthcare Corporation and focuses on the identification and broad dissemination of preferred practices and technological solutions to prevent CLABSI. 

Large Range in Patient Experience of Pain in Indiana Hospitals

In the most recent CMS release (April 2012) of HCAHPS performance data, Indiana hospitals show a large range in the patient's experience of pain.

From April 1, 2010, to March 31, 2011, 83% of patients from Kentuckiana Medical Center (Clarksville, IN) who responded to the HCAHPS survey responded that their pain was "Always" well controlled. This compares to only 56% of responding patients from Saint Catherine Regional Hospital (Charlestown ,IN). The Indiana State average was 71% for this time period.

Although some caution needs to be exercised when comparing hospitals (due to services offered), there appears to be significant opportunity for Indiana hospitals to improve the patient experience. Given that Kentuckiana Medical Center, Physicians' Medical Center, Margaret Mary Community, Indiana Orthopedic, and St.Vincent Heart Center are in the top 5% nationally in this specific HCAHPS question, Indiana hospitals may be able to draw some best practices from within our own state.

Patients responding Pain was "Always" well controlled.
Hospital Name	City	% Always
KENTUCKIANA MEDICAL CENTER LLC	CLARKSVILLE	83
PHYSICIANS' MEDICAL CENTER LLC	NEW ALBANY	81
MARGARET MARY COMMUNITY HOSPITAL INC	BATESVILLE	79
INDIANA ORTHOPAEDIC HOSPITAL LLC	INDIANAPOLIS	79
ST VINCENT HEART CENTER OF INDIANA LLC	INDIANAPOLIS	79
SCOTT COUNTY  MEMORIAL HOSPITAL	SCOTTSBURG	78
JAY COUNTY HOSPITAL	PORTLAND	78
CAMERON MEMORIAL COMMUNITY HOSPITAL INC	ANGOLA	78
GOOD SAMARITAN HOSPITAL	VINCENNES	78
THE HEART HOSPITAL AT DEACONESS GATEWAY LLC	NEWBURGH	77
WABASH COUNTY HOSPITAL	WABASH	77
PARKVIEW HUNTINGTON HOSPITAL	HUNTINGTON	77
MEMORIAL HOSPITAL	LOGANSPORT	77
ST VINCENT MERCY HOSPITAL	ELWOOD	77
MARION GENERAL HOSPITAL	MARION	77
SCHNECK MEDICAL CENTER	SEYMOUR	76
PARKVIEW HOSPITAL	FORT WAYNE	76
PARKVIEW WHITLEY HOSPITAL	COLUMBIA CITY	76
ST VINCENT FRANKFORT HOSPITAL INC	FRANKFORT	75
FAYETTE REGIONAL HEALTH SYSTEM	CONNERSVILLE	75
ST VINCENT CLAY HOSPITAL INC	BRAZIL	75
ST JOSEPH HOSPITAL	FORT WAYNE	74
DEKALB HEALTH	AUBURN	74
ST CATHERINE HOSPITAL INC	EAST CHICAGO	74
WOMEN'S HOSPITAL THE	NEWBURGH	74
MONROE HOSPITAL	BLOOMINGTON	74
INDIANA UNIVERSITY HEALTH STARKE HOSPITAL	KNOX	74
BLUFFTON REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER	BLUFFTON	74
ST VINCENT DUNN HOSPITAL INC	BEDFORD	74
HENRY COUNTY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL	NEW CASTLE	74
PARKVIEW LAGRANGE HOSPITAL	LAGRANGE	73
SAINT JOSEPH REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER	MISHAWAKA	73
MAJOR HOSPITAL	SHELBYVILLE	73
DUPONT HOSPITAL LLC	FORT WAYNE	73
DEARBORN COUNTY HOSPITAL	LAWRENCEBURG	73
HOWARD REGIONAL HEALTH SYSTEM	KOKOMO	73
COMMUNITY HOSPITAL	MUNSTER	73
ST MARY MEDICAL CENTER INC	HOBART	73
PARKVIEW NOBLE HOSPITAL	KENDALLVILLE	73
ST VINCENT CARMEL HOSPITAL INC	CARMEL	73
INDIANA HEART HOSPITAL THE	INDIANAPOLIS	73
PINNACLE HOSPITAL	CROWN POINT	73
FRANCISCAN ST FRANCIS HEALTH - INDIANAPOLIS	INDIANAPOLIS	72
FRANCISCAN ST FRANCIS HEALTH - MOORESVILLE	MOORESVILLE	72
DUKES MEMORIAL HOSPITAL	PERU	72
HARRISON COUNTY HOSPITAL	CORYDON	72
TERRE HAUTE REGIONAL HOSPITAL	TERRE HAUTE	72
SAINT JOSEPH'S REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER - PLYMOUTH	PLYMOUTH	72
***State of Indiana Average***	***	71
HENDRICKS REGIONAL HEALTH	DANVILLE	71
FRANCISCAN ST ANTHONY HEALTH - MICHIGAN CITY	MICHIGAN CITY	71
IU HEALTH GOSHEN HOSPITAL	GOSHEN	71
FRANCISCAN PHYSICIANS HOSPITAL LLC	MUNSTER	71
ST VINCENT JENNINGS HOSPITAL INC	NORTH VERNON	71
INDIANA UNIVERSITY HEALTH ARNETT HOSPITAL	LAFAYETTE	71
WITHAM HEALTH SERVICES	LEBANON	70
RIVERVIEW HOSPITAL	NOBLESVILLE	70
THE ORTHOPAEDIC HOSPITAL OF LUTHERAN HEALTH NETWOR	FT WAYNE	70
MEMORIAL HOSPITAL AND HEALTH CARE CENTER	JASPER	70
HANCOCK REGIONAL HOSPITAL	GREENFIELD	70
ST MARY'S MEDICAL CENTER OF EVANSVILLE INC	EVANSVILLE	70
COLUMBUS REGIONAL HOSPITAL	COLUMBUS	70
KING'S DAUGHTERS' HOSPITAL AND HEALTH SERVICESTHE	MADISON	70
PORTER VALPARAISO HOSPITAL	VALPARAISO	70
COMMUNITY HOSPITAL OF ANDERSON AND MADISON COUNTY	ANDERSON	70
DAVIESS COMMUNITY HOSPITAL	WASHINGTON	70
ORTHOPAEDIC HOSPITAL AT PARKVIEW NORTH LLC	FORT WAYNE	70
SAINT JOHN'S HEALTH SYSTEM	ANDERSON	70
REID HOSPITAL & HEALTH CARE SERVICES	RICHMOND	70
ST VINCENT HOSPITAL & HEALTH SERVICES	INDIANAPOLIS	70
INDIANA UNIVERSITY HEALTH BALL MEMORIAL HOSPITAL	MUNCIE	69
CLARK MEMORIAL HOSPITAL	JEFFERSONVILLE	69
JOHNSON MEMORIAL HOSPITAL	FRANKLIN	69
LUTHERAN HOSPITAL OF INDIANA	FORT WAYNE	69
FLOYD MEMORIAL HOSPITAL AND HEALTH SERVICES	NEW ALBANY	69
DECATUR COUNTY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL	GREENSBURG	69
INDIANA UNIVERSITY HEALTH BEDFORD HOSPITAL	BEDFORD	69
FRANCISCAN ST FRANCIS HEALTH - BEECH GROVE	BEECH GROVE	68
ELKHART GENERAL HOSPITAL	ELKHART	68
GIBSON GENERAL HOSPITAL	PRINCETON	68
INDIANA UNIVERSITY HEALTH NORTH HOSPITAL	CARMEL	68
KOSCIUSKO COMMUNITY HOSPITAL	WARSAW	68
INDIANA UNIVERSITY HEALTH WEST HOSPITAL	AVON	68
UNITY MEDICAL AND SURGICAL HOSPITAL	MISHAWAKA	68
COMMUNITY HOSPITAL EAST	INDIANAPOLIS	68
UNION HOSPITAL CLINTON	CLINTON	68
WESTVIEW HOSPITAL	INDIANAPOLIS	68
FRANCISCAN ST ELIZABETH HEALTH - LAFAYETTE EAST	LAFAYETTE	68
ST VINCENT RANDOLPH HOSPITAL INC	WINCHESTER	67
ST JOSEPH HOSPITAL & HEALTH CENTER INC	KOKOMO	67
INDIANA UNIVERSITY HEALTH BLOOMINGTON HOSPITAL	BLOOMINGTON	67
DEACONESS HOSPITAL INC	EVANSVILLE	67
COMMUNITY HOSPITAL NORTH	INDIANAPOLIS	67
INDIANA UNIVERSITY HEALTH	INDIANAPOLIS	67
FRANCISCAN ST ANTHONY HEALTH - CROWN POINT	CROWN POINT	67
WILLIAM N WISHARD MEMORIAL HOSPITAL	INDIANAPOLIS	67
MEMORIAL HOSPITAL OF SOUTH BEND	SOUTH BEND	67
COMMUNITY HOSPITAL SOUTH	INDIANAPOLIS	67
INDIANA UNIVERSITY HEALTH PAOLI HOSPITAL	PAOLI	67
FRANCISCAN ST ELIZABETH HEALTH - LAFAYETTE CENTRAL	LAFAYETTE	67
INDIANA UNIVERSITY HEALTH TIPTON HOSPITAL INC	TIPTON	66
FRANCISCAN ST ELIZABETH HEALTH - CRAWFORDSVILLE	CRAWFORDSVILLE	66
FRANCISCAN ST MARGARET HEALTH - DYER	DYER	66
FRANCISCAN ST MARGARET HEALTH - HAMMOND	HAMMOND	65
INDIANA UNIVERSITY HEALTH MORGAN HOSPITAL INC	MARTINSVILLE	65
SULLIVAN COUNTY COMMUNITY HOSPITAL	SULLIVAN	65
UNION HOSPITAL INC	TERRE HAUTE	65
METHODIST HOSPITALS INC	GARY	64
ST VINCENT WILLIAMSPORT HOSPITAL INC	WILLIAMSPORT	63
INDIANA UNIVERSITY HEALTH LA PORTE HOSPITAL	LA PORTE	60
SAINT CATHERINE REGIONAL HOSPITAL	CHARLESTOWN	56