Exclusive: 15 Top Health Systems

Healthcare systems nationwide have been investing heavily to improve quality of care and patient satisfaction at their organizations. And those investments are paying off.

That’s among the findings based on Thomson Reuters’ fourth annual list of the 100 Top Hospitals: 15 Top Health Systems.

This year, for the first time, Thomson Reuters divided health systems into three size groups—large, medium and small, based on overall operating expenses—to obtain more valid comparisons.

The alphabetical list of the 15 Top Health Systems is presented here, along with the other health systems that together make up the top 20% of all systems in the study, also presented in alphabetical order.

According to Thomson Reuters’ analysis, the 15 Top Health Systems, in matchups with their peers, are

ahead of the pack in all study comparisons: They have better survival rates, fewer patient complications, better long-term outcomes, better adherence to accepted care protocols and patient-safety standards, shorter hospital stays and higher patient-satisfaction scores (See chart).

The use of information technology is also playing a leading role in improving the quality of care.

At one organization among the 15 Top systems, its electronic health-record system has helped flag patients at high risk for developing sepsis. Through a new technology-driven protocol, caregivers were able to improve early intervention, which executives credited with reducing mortality rates and improving overall outcomes.

As an executive of another health system says, “In the journey of quality improvement, it’s hard work. It really has to be, in my opinion, the focus of the whole organization.”

Read the Web-exclusive story on this year’s 15 Top Health Systems study at modernhealthcare.com/100tophospitals