Woodland Heights Earns ‘Top Performer on Key Quality MeasuresTM’ Recognition from The Joint Commission

Lufkin, Texas (September 19, 2012) – Woodland Heights Medical Center today was named one of the nation’s Top Performers on Key Quality Measures by The Joint Commission, the leading accreditor of health care organizations in America. The hospital was recognized by The Joint Commission for exemplary performance in using evidence-based clinical processes that are shown to improve care for certain conditions, including heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia, surgical care, children’s asthma, stroke and venous thrombo embolism, as well as inpatient psychiatric services.

Woodland Heights is one of 620 hospitals in the U.S. earning the distinction of Top Performer on Key Quality Measures for attaining and sustaining excellence in accountability measure performance. Woodland Heights was recognized for its achievement on the following measure sets: Heart Attack, Heart Failure, Pneumonia and Surgical Care.  The ratings are based on an aggregation of accountability measure data reported to The Joint Commission during the 2011 calendar year. The list of Top Performers represents 18 percent of more than 3,400 eligible accredited hospitals reporting data.

This is the second year in a row that Woodland Heights is being recognized as a Top Performer. Woodland Heights is one of only 244 hospitals that achieved the distinction two years in a row. Last year, the facility was recognized by The Joint Commission for its achievement on the following measure sets: Heart Attack, Heart Failure, Pneumonia and Surgical Care. 

Each of the hospitals named as a Top Performer on Key Quality Measures met two 95 percent performance thresholds. First, the hospital achieved performance of 95 percent or above on the composite score that includes all the accountability measures for which it reported data to The Joint Commission for calendar year 2011. Second, recognized hospitals met or exceeded a 95 percent performance target for each and every accountability measure for which they reported data to The Joint Commission, excluding any measures with fewer than 30 eligible cases.

A 95 percent score means a hospital provided an evidence-based practice 95 times out of 100 opportunities to provide the practice.

Each accountability measure represents an evidence-based practice -- for example, giving aspirin at arrival for heart attack patients, giving antibiotics one hour before surgery, and providing a home management plan for children with asthma.

“When we raise the bar and provide the proper guidance and tools, hospitals have responded with excellent results,” said Mark R. Chassin, M.D., FACP, M.P.P., M.P.H., president, The Joint Commission. “This capacity for continual improvement points toward a future in which quality and safety defects are dramatically reduced and high reliability is sought and achieved with regularity. Such day-to-day progress will slowly but surely transform today’s health care system into one that achieves unprecedented performance outcomes for the benefit of the patients.”

“We understand that what matters most to our patients is safe, effective care. That’s why Woodland Heights has made a commitment to accreditation and to positive patient outcomes through evidence-based processes.  We are proud to be the only hospital in the Lufkin/Nacogdoches area named to the list of The Joint Commission’s Top Performers on Key Quality Measures,” said Casey Robertson, CEO of Woodland Heights.

About Woodland Heights Medical Center

Established in 1918, Woodland Heights Medical Center was Lufkin’s first hospital.  Now, nine decades later, Woodland Heights is recognized throughout Deep East Texas as the leading provider of high quality, innovative health care services. Accommodating a wide range of clinical specialties, Woodland Heights has achieved excellence in key medical and surgical areas including cardiology, pulmonology, neurology, orthopedic surgery, physical medicine/rehabilitation, vascular surgery and obstetrics and gynecology.  Woodland Heights also offers a full range of outpatient diagnostic services including advanced imaging, laboratory, outpatient surgery and emergency services.  Through its Rehabilitation Center, Woodland Heights offers cardiac rehabilitation, stroke recovery and physical and occupational rehabilitation.  Combining modern facilities, leading technology, an exceptional staff and a commitment to the communities it serves, Woodland Heights Medical Center remains at the forefront of quality health care in Deep East Texas.  For more information, visit www.woodlandheights.net.