Truven Health Analytics has rescinded its 100 Top Hospitals recognition over the past two years for Desert Valley Hospital, a facility owned by the 20-hospital for-profit Prime Healthcare Services system.
Research firm Truven rescinded the 2012 and 2013 recognition for the 75-bed Victorville, Calif., hospital based on a sanction (PDF) issued by the California Department of Public Health in 2013.
Desert Valley's CEO called Truven's decision to act before an appeal of the sanction had been resolved “unfortunate.”
“Desert Valley Hospital appealed these findings of the California Department of Public Health and is confident it will be successful in dismissing these initial findings,” Margaret Peterson, Desert Valley CEO, said. “This is the first time Desert Valley Hospital has ever received an administrative penalty.”
Truven's letter stated that if Desert Valley's appeal is successful, it will reconsider its decision to rescind recognition.
“The sanction is listed on the California Department of Health website under 2013 provider sanctions,” stated Ann Arbor, Mich.-based Truven's letter to Desert Valley. “As a result of this, we must rescind the Desert Valley Hospital 100 Top Hospitals awards for 2012 and 2013.”
The department fined the hospital $50,000 and said it “failed to ensure the safety of a patient when it did not follow established policies and procedures related to cardiac catheterization.” The 2011 incidents involved three cases of patient harm, including one death, after non-emergency interventions were performed in a cath lab licensed for diagnostic procedures only.
Peterson also noted another California hospital had received similar sanctions and has not had its recognition rescinded and added that “there are numerous hospitals that have received Truven's awards that have similar findings by state and federal agencies.”
Desert Valley was built by Prime Care founder, chairman, president and CEO Dr. Prem Reddy in 1994. Reddy has appeared on Modern Healthcare's 50 Most Influential Physician Executives in Healthcare list five times: 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2013.
Desert Valley also received a letter grade of “A” for patient safety from the Leapfrog Group employer coalition of healthcare purchasers. The hospital has not been accredited by the Joint Commission since 2004; its current accreditation is from the Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program.
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