FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Joe Martin, Communications Director
717-232-6787 or
Certificate Award Recipients for Calendar Year 2001
Harrisburg, PA - July 24, 2002 - The Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council released today its list of hospital and ambulatory surgical center over-achievers when it comes to accurate and timely submission of health care data to the state. Twenty-one health care facilities from around the state are receiving Certificates of Excellence for their performance on this front in Calendar Year 2001. Four of the 21- Lewistown Hospital, St. Francis Medical Center, UPMC Braddock and UPMC McKeesport - are being recognized for both inpatient and ambulatory/outpatient submissions. Bradford Regional Medical Center, Divine Providence Hospital, Lewistown Hospital, St. Francis Medical Center, and the Digestive Disease Institute are being recognized for the second consecutive year.
"These 21 facilities represent the best of the best when it comes to data submission," stated Marc P. Volavka, PHC4's Executive Director. "The PHC4 reports that empower purchasers, policy makers and consumers in making better health care decisions would not be possible without the cooperation of the 335 Pennsylvania hospitals and health care facilities that provide data year in and year out."
Each year, PHC4 acknowledges those health care facilities that meet the legally established guidelines for accurate and timely data submissions under state law. Facilities may receive an award for submission of inpatient data, ambulatory/outpatient data or both. This year, Certificates of Excellence (the highest award) are being given to those facilities that met the data submission and accuracy requirements for all four quarters of Calendar Year 2001, ranked in the lowest 25th percentile for initial submission error rates, and did not need any time extensions. Certificates of Achievement are also being awarded to 209 facilities that met established error ratios and submitted records on time after the close of the previous calendar quarter.
"We are recognizing five more facilities this year than last year, despite the fact that we tightened the requirements," stated Mr. Volavka. "A commitment to timely and accurate reporting is generally a commitment from the top down, and the CEO's of these hospitals should be very proud of this facility-wide achievement."
The Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council (PHC4) is an independent state agency that provides the public with information that can be used to improve the quality and restrain the cost of health care in Pennsylvania. The information is based on approximately 3.6 million inpatient and outpatient hospital and ambulatory facility records submitted by Pennsylvania hospitals and subsequently verified, analyzed and published by PHC4. Additional information about PHC4 and its public reports are available by calling the Council at (717) 232-6787 or by visiting the Council's Web site at www.phc4.org. The facilities receiving Certificates of Excellence are listed below. A list of those receiving Certificates of Achievement is attached.