Sarah Bush Lincoln was named a High Performing Hospital by the U.S. News and World Report for five areas of care - heart failure, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), pneumonia, hip fracture and back surgery (spinal fusion).
For most types of care, the US News and World Report’s ‘high performing’ designation is the highest possible rating, typically achieved by less than 25 percent of the 6,000 hospitals evaluated.
Sarah Bush Lincoln President & CEO Kim Uphoff said, “We are honored to receive this level of recognition from US News & World Report. It further validates the excellent quality care that our patients receive. We use evidence-based medicine to provide the gold standard of care and we are continually learning and evolving as medicine advances, using established best practices.”
Heart Failure – A hospital’s congestive heart failure score is based on multiple data categories, including patient outcomes, volume of patients, advanced heart programs and more. More than 6,000 hospitals were evaluated and 1,088 hospitals earned a high performing designation, which places SBL in the top 18 percent.
Megan Winchester, SBL Congestive Heart Failure Care Coordinator explained that SBL’s success rate is tied to the additional education provided to the patients while in the hospital and after they return home. They receive a calendar with spaces to record their weight and blood pressure daily along with information about how to recognize heart failure symptoms and when to call the doctor. She calls each patient a day or two after they go home to ensure they have their medications and understand how to take them, as well as reviews symptoms. She follows up with weekly calls for a month to help ensure their diet is appropriate and to answer any questions or concerns they may have.
“We’ve been doing this for a few years now and it has made a huge difference in readmissions and the patients’ understanding of their disease. When they better understand the reason for weighing themselves daily and adhering to a specific diet, they are more apt to follow our recommendations and remain healthier,” Winchester said.
Winchester also credits Cardiology Advanced Practice Provider Katie O’Halloran, APRN, who spends a great deal of time helping inpatients understand their disease better so they can be more compliant as well as helping them meet their needs.
Hip Fracture – A hospital’s hip fracture score is based on multiple data categories, including patient outcomes, prevention of readmission and more. More than 6,000 hospitals were evaluated and SBL was one of 232 hospitals that earned a ‘high performing’ designation, which is in the top 3 percent. It received high marks due to all the orthopedists being board certified, and that the nursing staff to patient ratios on the medical-surgical units are better than expected, which is associated with better outcomes and better patient experience. Additionally, most people are discharged directly to their homes. Recovery at home is preferred by most people and their families.
SBL 3-East Nursing Director Nicole Jahraus, RN, said, “The value of having low nursing staff to patient ratios is evidenced in our patients’ outcomes. We work hard to ensure they consistently remain low, even when we have a high volume of patients.”
Back Surgery (Spinal Fusion) – A hospital’s back surgery (spinal fusion) score is based on multiple data categories, including patient outcomes, volume of back surgery cases and more. More than 6,000 hospitals were evaluated and SBL was one of 185 hospitals to receive a ‘high performing’ designation, which is in the top 3 percent. It received high marks in nurse staffing to patient ratios, which is associated with better outcomes and better patient experience, and a strong patient experience that reflects the opinions of surveyed inpatients about overall quality of care.
Jahraus added, “Dr. (Emilio) Nardone, who does these procedures, is excellent. He rounds on his own patients and ensure their pain is under control, which helps them have a better recovery.”
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) – A hospital’s COPD score is based on multiple data categories, including patient survival, discharging patients to home, nurse staffing to patient ratios and more. More than 6,000 hospitals were evaluated and SBL was one of 773 hospitals (in the top 12 percent) to earn high performing status. SBL earned high marks for nurse staffing and the number of patients cared for who were older than 65 over a five-year-period. High patient volumes are associated with better outcomes. It also received high marks for people being discharged directly home.
SBL Respiratory Therapist Jacob Moritz, RT, Case Manager, mostly credits the high performance to SBL having employed pulmonologists available to intervene with inpatients and many other pulmonologists available for office visits. “The availability of inpatient and outpatient pulmonologists has greatly increased access to lung specialists for our patients,” he said, adding that he works with the hospitalists to ensure patients have the appropriate inhaler and understand how to use it for optimal benefits. He has created ‘cheat sheets’ for his patients to help them better manage their medications too. “I help bridge the gap from our physicians to what’s real life for our patients,” he explained.
Pneumonia – A hospital’s pneumonia score is based on multiple data categories, including patient survival, discharging patients to home, nurse to patient staffing ratios and more. More than 6,000 hospitals were evaluated and SBL was one of 722 high performing hospitals (in the top 12 percent). SBL received high marks for discharging patients directly to their homes, the level of its compliance with the septic shock bundle treatments, which is recommended from the Surviving Sepsis Campaign, the high number of patients it treats for pneumonia and its nursing to patient staff ratios.
One of the factors that Moritz credits to the high ranking in pneumonia care is the implementation of respiratory patient-driven protocols, which allows the registered respiratory therapists to proactively provide the best care for the patient early in their hospitalization. “We are able to provide treatments quickly and offer another set of eyes for the doctor.”
SBL Quality Director Kim Weishaar added, “This recognition is a testament to the exceptional care and dedication demonstrated by our staff and providers. It reflects our unwavering commitment to excellence in an ever-evolving healthcare environment. We are proud to have such exceptional talent driving the success of Sarah Bush Lincoln.”
For more information about these awards, please contact Communications, 217 258-2424.