September 14, 2012

Two Emory hospitals in top 10 nationally in latest UHC quality rankings

Earlier this week, I had the honor and the privilege of joining members of the Emory Healthcare Quality Team in celebrating a truly historic achievement. For the first time in the history of the University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC) Quality Leadership Awards, two hospitals from one health care system have been ranked in the top 10. Of course, these two are our own Emory University Hospital (EUH), which ranks second (in combination with Emory University Orthopaedics and Spine Hospital), and Emory University Hospital Midtown (EUHM), which ranks sixth.

UHC is an alliance representing a majority of the nation's academic medical centers. Its annual rankings rigorously assess these teaching hospitals on multiple dimensions of quality and safety and are considered by many the most unbiased national quality measurement system available. We use the highly respected UHC metrics to guide our quality efforts and to help us best serve our patients and their families.

Last year, we were all thrilled to learn that our dedicated quality efforts had resulted in tremendous strides in the UHC rankings. EUH rose from 45 to 10, while EUHM rose from 42 to 11. Even so, our world-class health care team refused to rest on its laurels and continued pushing steadily forward toward even higher standards of safety and quality, resulting in this year’s historic rankings.

When we first launched our Emory Healthcare quality initiative in 2006, we set audacious goals for improving the quality and safety of the care we provide to our patients. To have achieved such huge strides—from ranking in the fourth out of five tiers to having two hospitals in the top 10—would have been impressive over a period of decades. To have achieved them in just six years is nothing short of extraordinary. When you consider that the group of academic hospitals in the scorecard also made dramatic improvements during this same time period, it makes our own ranking improvements even more stunning.

These outstanding strides are truly a testament to the commitment, expertise, and teamwork of our physicians, nurses, management team, and allied health and support staff, who have earned and continue to earn these honors by providing the most compassionate, cutting-edge care available in the nation. Thanks to you, the ultimate winners are our patients.

On behalf of the entire Woodruff Health Sciences Center and all the people we serve, thank you and congratulations on this phenomenal achievement.

Best wishes,

S. Wright Caughman, MD
Executive Vice President for Health Affairs
CEO, Woodruff Health Sciences Center
Chairman, Emory Healthcare

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