Texas Health Resources - The Business of Healthcare

The Business of Health Care Report
Understanding CMS’s Hospital Compare Data - February 2005

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I'm Doug Hawthorne, President and CEO of Texas Health Resources, with "The Business of Health Care Report."

The federal government’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services – known as CMS – will soon release data that will give consumers information with which to compare hospitals. Called “Hospital Compare,” the measures provide a snapshot of hospital performance for three specific medical conditions: heart attack, heart failure and pneumonia.

The data measures how hospitals managed those three conditions one year ago – during the first and second quarters of 2004. This data can be of great value to consumers and businesses if it is interpreted and used appropriately. I urge you to consider the following points as you review the Hospital Compare data.

One – the data does not cover all areas of hospital quality. It is simply a starting point that should be a roadmap for consumers to ask questions.

Two – the data, which comes from a combination of sources, is not fail-proof.

And three – it’s important to discuss any hospital quality data – regardless of its source – with your physician.

The CMS data is a valuable tool – and it should not be discounted by consumers or hospital personnel.

At Texas Health Resources hospitals, improving quality and patient safety is the No. 1 priority, and we support efforts – such as those by CMS – to provide consumers with accurate and timely information.

For Texas Health Resources and its faith-based hospitals – Harris Methodist, Presbyterian and Arlington Memorial – I’m Doug Hawthorne.

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