An annual study released last month by Thomas Reuters recognized Spectrum Health Grand Rapids and Spectrum Health United Hospital as being among the 100 best hospitals in the country based on measures of overall organization performance, including patient care, operational efficiency, and financial stability.
Spectrum Health United Hospital in Greenville was named one of Thomson Reuters 100 Top Hospitals®.
United Hospital is the only small community hospital (under 100 beds) to receive this elite honor and recognition within the region.  In total, 924 small community hospitals were included with the nationwide survey. Of those surveyed, only 20 were selected as award recipients in this category, of which one is Spectrum Health United Hospital.
This distinction is awarded because of the Thomson Reuters’ annual study that examines changing performance levels in U.S. hospitals and objectively identifies hospitals based on their overall performance. The winners were announced in the March 28 issue of Modern Healthcare magazine.
“It is extremely gratifying to be recognized for our ongoing commitment to superior quality and patient satisfaction at lower costs as compared to the majority of other hospitals in the nation. To be named one of the top 100 hospitals in the nation reaffirms our mission to bring the absolute best medical care possible to the communities we serve,” said Paul Bonis, President, Spectrum Health United Hospital. “This award belongs to our physicians and staff as a result of their dedication and commitment to excellence and compassion for every patient, every day.  I would also like to thank Spectrum Health and our community for their outstanding allegiance and support, without which awards like this would not be possible.”
The Thomson Reuters study evaluates performance in 10 areas: mortality, medical complications, patient safety, average length of stay, expenses, profitability, patient satisfaction, adherence to clinical standards of care, and post-discharge mortality and readmission rates for acute myocardial infarction, heart failure and pneumonia. The study has been conducted annually since 1993.
To conduct the 100 Top Hospitals study, Thomson Reuters researchers evaluated 2,914 short-term, acute care, non-federal hospitals. They used public information – Medicare cost reports, Medicare Provider Analysis and Review (MedPAR) data, and core measures and patient satisfaction data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Compare website. Hospitals do not apply, and winners do not pay to market this honor.
If all Medicare inpatients received the same level of care as those treated in these 100 Top Hospitals award winners:
Nearly 116,000 additional patients would survive each year.
More than 197,000 patient complications would be avoided annually.
Expense per adjusted discharge would drop by $462.
The average patient stay would decrease by half a day.
If the same standards were applied to all inpatients, the impact would be even greater. For more information, visit www.100tophospitals.com.