FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Joe Martin, Communications Director
717-232-6787 or
Certificate Award Recipients for Calendar Year 2002
Harrisburg, PA - June 20, 2003 - Twenty-two health care facilities in Pennsylvania are being singled out by the state for their commitment to improving the quality and restraining the cost of health care in Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council (PHC4) is awarding these facilities Certificates of Excellence for their outstanding data submission efforts in CalendarYear 2002.
"These 22 health care facilities far exceeded the minimum legal requirements for both their clinical and administrative data submissions in 2002, and we wish to congratulate them for their outstanding efforts," stated Marc P. Volavka, PHC4 Executive Director. "The success of PHC4's data collection activities would not be possible without the cooperation and dedication of Pennsylvania's health care facilities."
Each year, PHC4 collects approximately 3.7 million inpatient and outpatient hospital and ambulatory facility records, which are verified and analyzed for accuracy. Subsequently, the agency publishes reports on the risk-adjusted clinical performance results of hospitals, physicians and health care plans in Pennsylvania that are then used by consumers, purchasers, payors, policy makers and providers to make more informed health care decisions.
This year, Certificates of Excellence are being given to those facilities that met the data submission and accuracy requirements for every quarter in Calendar Year 2002, attained an initial error rate in the lowest 20th percentile, and did not need any time extensions. Of the 22 facilities being honored with Certificates of Excellence, six are being recognized for both their inpatient and ambulatory/outpatient submissions, and two facilities made the top list for the third year in a row.
Certificates of Achievement are also being awarded to 233 facilities throughout Pennsylvania that submitted records within 90 days after the close of the quarter and that maintained an initial error rate of less than 20%.
"We are acknowledging 24 more facilities (for both levels of data submission) this year than last year overall, despite the fact that our standards were set at a higher level," stated Mr. Volavka. "Two facilities - Lewistown Hospital and the Digestive Disease Institute in Camp Hill - are receiving the top honor for the third consecutive year."
The Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council (PHC4) is an independent state agency charged with collecting, analyzing and reporting information that can be used to improve the quality and restrain the cost of health care in Pennsylvania. You can visit the Council's Web site at www.phc4.org or by calling (717) 232-6787.
Facilities receiving Certificates of Excellence are listed below. A complete list of those receiving Certificates of Excellence and/or Achievement is attached.