‘U.S. News’ again ranks UK Chandler Hospital among nation’s best (2009-10)

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For the fourth consecutive year, U.S.News & World Report has placed UK Albert B. Chandler Hospital among the top hospitals in the United States. Only 174 hospitals – of 4,861 hospitals across the nation evaluated on 16 specialties – made the 2009-10 list of “America’s Best Hospitals.”

Two of UK’s programs are recognized by the magazine this year. They are gynecology (40th), and ear, nose and throat (33rd).

UK Chandler Hospital is the only Lexington hospital to make the list, and one of only two in the state. The recognition from U.S.News & World Report is the most recent of several national distinctions earned by UK Chandler Hospital.

Performance measures
Of the 16 specialties considered by U.S. News, the rankings for 12 were determined using mostly “hard” (not opinion-based) data. This included both of the specialties for which UK was ranked.

Initial eligibility in each specialty was based on meeting any of three standards: membership in the Council of Teaching Hospitals; affiliation with a medical school; or availability of at least six out of 13 advanced services, such as image-guided radiation therapy and robotic surgery. According to U.S. News, three quarters of all hospitals failed this first test. UK Chandler Hospital met not just one but all three criteria.

Hospitals that passed this second round then were given a score combining three equally weighted elements:

Reputation – A randomized sample of 200 U.S. doctors drawn from the American Board of Medical Specialties database were surveyed in each specialty. They were asked to list the five hospitals they think are best in their specialty for difficult cases, without regard for location or expense (and without naming their own hospital). Results from the 2007, 2008 and 2009 survey responses were combined to create the reputation scores..

Death rate – The number of deaths among Medicare patients with certain conditions was compared with the number of deaths expected (after adjusting for severity of condition) during 2005, 2006 and 2007 to create a ratio.

Other care-related factors – The remaining score considered other quality indicators, such as patient volume, relative availability of nurses, advanced technology and credentialing by professional groups. According to U.S. News, much of this information came from the American Hospital Association’s 2007 member survey.

A culture of continual improvement
UK HealthCare has made great strides to improve the quality of care for Kentuckians. Some recent organizationwide improvements include:

• UK HealthCare has implemented an innovative program in Quality, Safety and Patient Rights that organizers say could lead to health care improvements across the nation. The program is designed to bring an academic component to UK HealthCare’s efforts to provide the highest quality, safest and most efficient health care through the implementation of process improvement techniques.
• Development of a new $700 million patient care facility will provide the facilities to deliver the most advanced health care to Kentuckians. It is estimated to be the largest construction project in Kentucky. Work on the hospital began on May 30, 2007, and is expected to be completed in 2011.
• The national Magnet Hospital Recognition Program® identifies and recognizes excellence in nursing services. UK Chandler Hospital nurses were the first in this region to be awarded Magnet status by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, and in 2007 both UK Chandler Hospital and Kentucky Children’s Hospital were redesignated Magnet hospitals. The Magnet program is based on quality indicators and standards defined by the American Nurses Association. It is the highest honor a hospital can receive for its nursing services.
• UK Chandler Hospital has been ranked for 2007 and 2006 among the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals by Thomson Healthcare (formerly Solucient), an organization that identifies the nation’s top performing hospitals. More than 2,800 hospitals were studied, and UK HealthCare is among the 15 major teaching hospitals recognized in the ranking. It is the only major teaching hospital in Kentucky to be recognized.

To find out more
For more information on UK HealthCare’s quality initiatives, call 1-800-333-8874 to receive a copy of the UK HealthCare 2008 Annual Report or wiew annual reports here.

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To make an appointment or find a physician, please call UK HealthCare at 859-257-1000 or toll free 1-800-333-8874.
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