ATLANTA (Dec. 15, 2011) – Fannin Regional Hospital in Blue Ridge has been named to the Georgia Hospital Association’s (GHA) Partnership for Health and Accountability (PHA) Core Measures Honor Roll. Fannin Regional Hospital is one of 15 hospitals in Georgia to be placed in the Chairman’s category, the highest on the list. The honor roll is based on clinical data provided by the federal Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services (CMS), which administers the nation’s Medicare and Medicaid programs. The data was collected from July 2010 to June 2011.
“This is a great accomplishment for Fannin Regional Hospital,” said Joseph Parker, president of GHA. “This recognition further underscores the commitment of the Fannin Regional Hospital staff to ensuring that every patient receives the best, most effective health care possible.”
Hospitals are required to submit care data to CMS, which details how well a hospital’s caregivers adhere to a list of Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) core measures. These measures are the clinical processes of care that are known to be the most effective methods of treatment for surgical patients and patients who have suffered heart attacks, pneumonia and heart failure.
For instance, a recommended treatment to help prevent a heart attack is to take aspirin either before or upon arrival at the hospital, as well as at discharge. A suggested treatment for pneumonia is to administer an antibiotic within four hours of a patient’s arrival. It is recommended that surgery patients are given an antibiotic one hour prior to surgery to prevent infection. The VBP core measure is a composite measure that determines whether or not a patient received the right care at the right time. A hospital’s adherence to these recommended clinical practices usually leads to better outcomes.
“It is our mission to ensure that each of our patients receives the right care at the right time and this recognition validates this,” said David S. Sanders, Chief Executive Officer of Fannin Regional Hospital “This honor is a tribute to the hard work and dedication of our staff who are constantly working to make excellent care even better.”
About Fannin Regional Hospital
Fannin Regional Hospital is a 50 bed general acute care facility with a 24 hour emergency room nestled in the north Georgia Mountains in Blue Ridge Georgia. The facility is Joint Commission Accredited; in 2008, Fannin Regional completed a deficiency free Joint Commission survey. Additionally, Fannin Regional has been named to the Georgia Hospital Association’s Chairman’s Honor Roll for 14 out of the last 15 quarters, a testament to the quality of care provided. Fannin Regional Hospital earned the Outstanding Patient Experience Award for 2010 and 2011, one of only four hospitals in Georgia to earn this distinction for two years in a row from HealthGrades, the leading healthcare ratings organization providing ratings and profiles of hospitals, nursing homes and physicians to consumers. Fannin Regional Hospital is also ranked 8th in the state of Georgia for Joint Replacement for 2011, Five-Star Rated for Joint Replacement in 2011 and Five-Star Rated for Total Knee Replacement in 2011 also from HealthGrades.
Patient satisfaction has remained above the 89th percentile for 9 consecutive quarters. Physician satisfaction is at the 89th percentile and employee satisfaction is at the 93rd percentile nationally. In 2009, Fannin Regional Hospital was awarded the Division I Patient Safety Award by Community Health Systems and was named the business of the year by the Fannin County Chamber of Commerce. There are approximately 80 members on our medical staff; including 20 members on our active medical staff representing the following specialties: OB/Gyn, Family Practice, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Radiology, Pulmonology, Orthopedics, General Surgery, and Ophthalmology. Blue Ridge is 90 minutes north of Atlanta, GA and 75 minutes east of Chattanooga, TN.
To learn more about our hospital and our medical staff visit our website www.fanninregionalhospital.com or call 706-632-4232 for more information. To learn more about our community visit the Fannin County Chamber of Commerce Website at www.blueridgemountains.com.
About PHA
The Partnership for Health and Accountability, formed in January 2000 and sponsored by the Georgia Hospital Association, is a unique statewide collaborative that brings together health care providers with community agencies and individuals to achieve healthy communities. PHA includes representation from groups like hospitals, physicians, state health officials, legislators and businesses.