Our Commitment to Quality
One of the reasons it’s such an exciting time to provide healthcare and health coverage is because the quality results we are able to deliver for patients and members are rising every day. Old assumptions in medicine about what was “acceptable” no longer hold. At Presbyterian, we are approaching our processes with the eye of an engineer while maintaining the heart of the caregiver. The results are inspiring:
- Preventing pressure ulcers (bedsores) – It used to be “accepted” that a certain percentage of hospital patients would acquire pressure ulcers, commonly known as bedsores, if they stayed in the hospital long enough. After a fundamental change in how we care for these patients, we have demonstrated a 60 percent reduction in patients with pressure ulcers. This not only improves care for the patient, but ultimately, reduces the cost of care with an annual savings of $1.4 million.
- Patients who require chemotherapy or other drugs through a central line, sometimes develop an associated infection. Presbyterian’s focus on standardized processes has resulted in six months’ of central line use with no resulting infections.
- As hospitals across the country work hard to combat ever-stronger community infections, Presbyterian achieved a 50 percent reduction in MRSA (superbug) infection cases through an intentional effort around hospital hygiene practices. These outcomes make for healthier patients and an estimated cost reduction of $345,000 per year.
Our quality efforts extend across our system. In 2008, Presbyterian Health Plan was recognized by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) and U.S. News & World Report as New Mexico’s highest-ranked health plan, according to America’s Best Health Plans 2008-091. Presbyterian received the top rankings in the state for our commercial, Medicare and Medicaid health plans. Presbyterian's Medicaid plan was not only ranked first in New Mexico, but also rated 22nd overall in the nation.
(1)The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) and U.S. News and World Report collaborate on the ranking. America’s Best Health Plans is a trademark of U.S. News & World Report.
We welcome you to view our Performance Scores here.
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