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UPMC named one of America's Best Hospitals by U.S. News & World Report
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Computers on wheels, called COWS, are positioned outside patient
rooms at Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center has once again been named one of America’s best hospitals by the magazine U.S. News & World Report for 2009-2010. Announced on July 15, the list (dubbed the “Honor Roll”) evaluates hospitals around the country based on several criteria, and determines the best of the best using a total point scale. This is the hospital’s fifth appearance on the list.
The publication started with more than 4,800 hospitals and narrowed its way down to a total of 21 – these institutions placed at or near the top in at least six of the specialties they offer; UPMC landed at 13 overall. Competing with the likes of The Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins, and Cleveland Clinic, UPMC ranked in eight of the 16 specialties included in the study. Click here to see the full list of America’s Best Hospitals
U.S. News & World Report conducts a different kind of evaluation to rank hospitals, indicating the use of data that evaluates “how well these institutions do in complex and demanding situations” as opposed to routine treatment and procedures. In 12 of the 16 specialties included, death rates and numbers of nurses were the deciding factors in the hospital’s placement.
When the process began, the 4,800 hospitals on the agenda had to meet one of the following three criteria in order to move to the next round – be a teaching hospital; have at least 200 beds, or have a minimum of 100 beds and also offer at least four out of eight important medical technologies. UPMC offers 1501 beds and is using many important technologies, including CT scanners and SpedCT.
Forty-four percent of the initial batch was eligible to proceed. Of the 2,100 hospitals remaining, 1,859 demonstrated either a minimum number of Medicare inpatient releases for selected procedures and conditions from 2005-2007, or they were nominated by at least one physician for at least one of the previous surveys from 2007-2009.
Once a hospital made the final eligibility cut, it was judged on the following four criteria in 12 of 16 specialties:
Reputation – 32.5% of the score. Each year, U.S. News draws a random sample of 200 physicians in each specialty from a national database and asks them to name five hospitals they believe are among the best in their specialty to deal with difficult cases. The reputation factor is calculated using the total percentage of those surveyed from 2007-2009.
Mortality Index – 32.5% of the score. Essentially, it’s a measurement of how many patients the hospital can keep alive. Looking at the number of deaths within 30 days of admission from 2005-2007, depending on the patient’s condition, an index result above 1.00 means the hospital did poorly; below 1.00 means they scored better than expected.
Patient Safety Index – 5% of the score. New to the list this year, hospitals were evaluated for their ability to “minimize harm to patients.” Preventing incisions from reopening is one of the seven items here.
Other care-related factors – 30% of the score. Everyone knows that a hospital isn’t just about doctors and mortality rates; things like the number of nurses on staff and the technology available are also key to making a good hospital. Hospitals also now gain extra points for employing physicians who specialize in treating patients who are in the ICU.
For the other four specialties – ophthalmology, psychiatry, rehabilitation, and rheumatology – hospitals were evaluated on reputation only because little to no mortality data is available in those areas. Reputation percentages were determined the same way as the other twelve specialties were done. Click here for more details about the selection process
UPMC ranked the highest in Ear, Nose, & Throat; Respiratory Disorders; Psychiatry; and Geriatric Care. Its specialties with the lowest placement were Heart/Heart Surgery and Cancer. Click here to see all of UPMC’s scores
With 50,000 employees and over 4 million patients each year, UPMC is one of (if not the) biggest health care provider in Pittsburgh. The brand as a whole (hospitals, doctors’ offices, insurance, etc.) gross an estimated $8 billion in revenue. Two of UPMC’s hospitals are considered “paperless” – they use electronic medical records for all patients. Click here to read more about UPMC’s statistics and achievements
UPMC offers a women’s health center as part of its available services, and is dedicated to patient education through events like health fairs and screenings. They also offer a number of support services, such as patient support groups and translation services, as well as transportation for the elderly and handicapped.
Share your thoughts – Does UPMC measure up as one of America’s Best Hospitals?
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