Williamsburg is home to one of the best hospitals in the country, according to a recent study by Truven Health Analytics.
The 2016 100 Top Hospitals study named Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center one of the 100 top hospitals, out of nearly 2,800 U.S. hospitals included in the study. Sentara Williamsburg was the only Virginia-based hospital selected.
“This award is a direct result of systems that our team has put in place to provide quality care in a safe environment, to promote superior outcomes, to establish evidence-based treatment and to deliver effective care at a reasonable cost,” Dave Masterson, president of Sentara Williamsburg, said in a prepared statement. Masterson was unavailable Tuesday for comment.
Sentara Williamsburg placed in the top 20 among medium-sized hospitals, out of nearly 1,000 hospitals in that group, according to the prepared release. The 100 winners were divided among five groups: major teaching, teaching, large community, medium community and small community hospitals.
The Truven Health 100 Top Hospitals study focuses on value. Hospitals providing highest value to their communities are identified through a balanced scorecard measuring organizational performance across 11 analytic measures, including patient care, operational efficiency and financial stability.
Using these measures, this year’s study found notable differences between the top 100 hospitals and peers. The top hospitals had a lower mortality index, considering patient severity, and fewer patient complications. They sent patients home sooner, provided more timely emergency care and kept expenses low, among other differences.
Additionally, the study found that if all U.S. hospitals performed at such a level more than 104,000 additional lives could be saved, as well as $2 billion in inpatient costs.
“Hospitals in three out of the five report groups actually reduced overall expense year over year, while improving patient outcomes – exactly the results that the entire industry hopes to attain,” Jean Chenoweth, Truven’s senior vice president, said in the prepared release.
Conducted annually since 1993, the study has become the standard for measuring quality of hospital care in the U.S., according to the study’s website. For more information, visit 100tophospitals.com.
Bridges can be reached by phone at 757-345-2342.
