Published on July 01, 2010

Southern Regional Moves to Presidential Level on Quality Honor Roll

Southern Regional Health System has been named to the Georgia Hospital Association's (GHA) Partnership for Health and Accountability (PHA) Quality Honor Roll. Southern Regional is one of 51 hospitals in Georgia to be placed in the Presidential Level, one of the highest on the list. The honor roll is based on clinical data provided by the federal Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services (CMS), which administers the nation's Medicare and Medicaid programs. The data was collected from January 2009 to December 2009.

"This is a great accomplishment for Southern Regional," said Joseph Parker, President of GHA. "This recognition further underscores the commitment of the Southern Regional staff to ensuring that every patient receives the best, most effective healthcare possible."

All acute care hospitals are required to submit care data to CMS. This data details how well a hospital's caregivers adhere to a list of eight Appropriate Care Measures (ACM), which are the clinical processes of care known to be the most effective methods of treatment for patients who have suffered heart attacks, heart failure or pneumonia. The ACM is a composite measure that determines whether or not a patient received the right care at the right time.

For instance, a recommended treatment to help prevent a heart attack is to take aspirin either before or upon arrival at the hospital, as well as at discharge. A suggested treatment for pneumonia is to administer an antibiotic within four hours of a patient's arrival. A hospital's adherence to these recommended clinical practices usually leads to better outcomes.

"I congratulate the Southern Regional staff for their hard work in achieving this honor," said Stephen W. Mahan, FACHE, President and Chief Executive Officer of Southern Regional Health System. "Ultimately, it is their dedication that drives the excellent care available at our hospital."