Health Management Associates Says Patient Satisfaction Scores Improving

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) publishes quality core measures for hospitals for each quarter, with a time lag, on a12-month rolling basis, using a 100 point scale. CMS' most recently published core measure scores are for the 12 months ended June 30, 2007, more than a year ago; at that time, on a consolidated basis, Health Management Associates Inc.'s (HMA) hospitals had a core measures score of 83.6.

Since January 2008, HMA has conducted its own monthly surveys of quality core measures as defined by CMS in order to know and act upon its results on a timelier basis well in advance of CMS' quarterly public release. Since HMA began performing its monthly surveys its consolidated scores have improved every month, and its most recent consolidated score in May was 90.9.

Since 2007, HMA has engaged the Gallup Organization to measure independently the satisfaction of its patients. Gallup conducts daily surveys, generates a "grand mean" to predict future loyalty for each of four service lines, and compares those scores to hospitals nationwide.

On a consolidated basis, from June 2007 to June 2008, HMA gradually improved its "grand mean" scores in all four categories. On a percentile basis relative to the nation's hospitals, HMA improved its scores on inpatient from 24th to 54th, emergency from 31st to 47th, outpatient testing and treatment from 16th to 37th, and outpatient surgery from 28th to 58th.

"HMA's hospitals all provide high quality and compassionate healthcare services that meet or exceed industry standards, and a number the company's hospitals already lead the industry, but we are determined to continue improving and to lead across the entire company," said Burke Whitman, HMA president and chief executive officer. "As we improve in 2008, we expect to earn stronger patient and physician loyalty for all our hospitals. We believe that this increased loyalty will impact patient volumes favorably beginning in 2008 and continuing into 2009 and beyond."

Source: Financialwire.net via COMTEX