Performance improvement in healthcare often takes changing processes, launching new initiatives and installing cutting-edge technologies. But achieving long-lasting gains also requires changing the culture.
That's a key takeaway from top executives at several of the organizations on this year's roster of the nation's 15 Top Health Systems as determined by Truven Health Analytics and released exclusively to Modern Healthcare. The list recognizes the top five systems in three categories: small, medium and large based on their annual operating expenses. Truven evaluated the more than 300 systems in its study on eight measures of clinical and operational performance, including mortality rates, complications, readmissions and patient satisfaction.
“When you have an organization that values quality and safety, when you constantly reinforce the importance of that and put it into practice, it becomes the fabric of the organization,” says Richard Hachten, CEO of Alegent Creighton Health in Omaha, Neb. Alegent is a first-time winner in this year's top systems representing the mid-size category.
