Sutter Davis, the Baldrige examiners noted, similarly ranked in the top 10% in a variety of performance metrics, including ones for the treatment of acute myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure and pneumonia.
The 48-bed Sutter hospital, which is part of the Sacramento, Calif.-based Sutter Health system, also scored highly in national benchmarks on readmission rates and the average length of hospital stays for pneumonia, heart failure and acute myocardial infarction.
Sutter Davis CEO Janet Wagner said she couldn't imagine the improvements her hospital would make when she started as chief executive 14 years ago. The award, she said, justifies the significant work and investment required to achieve the progress.
“This is something you begin and refine along the way—there's not really one way to do it,” Wagner said. “It's refinement and improvement with self-awareness.”
Sutter Davis also showed improvement in average door-to-doctor time in its emergency department, which decreased from 45 minutes in 2008 to 22 minutes in 2012, compared with an average of 58 minutes for California hospitals. Sutter Davis officials have also focused on employee satisfaction and engagement with scores exceeding the top 10% of national metrics.
The hospital's next project, Wagner said, is to improve bedside safety.
The government selected this year's winners from a field of 22 applicants in six categories: manufacturing, service, small business, healthcare, education and nonprofit, which includes government agencies. The third 2013 recipient is the Pewaukee (Wis.) School District.
The winners will be honored in April at a ceremony in Baltimore.
“The Baldrige program has had a tangible impact on the success of thousands of organizations worldwide and our nation's economy, and the winners announced today will undoubtedly continue that legacy and serve as role models for their peers in the healthcare and education sectors,” U.S. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker said.
This year's judges also will honor two healthcare organizations that didn't win an award. Duke University Hospital in Durham, N.C., and Hill Country Memorial in Fredericksburg, Texas, will be recognized for best practices in leadership.
(This story has been updated to correct the name of Baylor Scott & White Health, which reflects a merger completed last month.)
Follow Ashok Selvam on Twitter: @MH_aselvam
