Published on September 29, 2010
Southern Regional Places on Statewide Quality Honor Roll
Southern Regional Health System in Riverdale, Ga. has been named to the Georgia Hospital Association’s (GHA) Partnership for Health and Accountability (PHA) Quality Honor Roll. For a second time, Southern Regional is one of 51 hospitals in Georgia to be placed in the Presidential category, 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 April 2009 to March 2010.
“I applaud Southern Regional for this accomplishment,” said Joseph Parker, president of GHA. “Placement on the Quality Honor Roll shows that the hospital and its staff are committed to ensuring that every patient receives the best 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 treatment methods 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 thank GHA for this honor and I congratulate our staff for receiving such an honor – for the second time,” said Stephen W. Mahan, FACHE, President and CEO of Southern Regional Health System. “I’m fortunate to work with such a dedicated group, and our community is fortunate to have these individuals as their healthcare providers.
About Southern Regional Health System
Southern Regional, a leader in providing innovative healthcare to metro Atlanta, exists to improve the health status and quality of life for its community. The health system meets this mission by supplying comprehensive health resources starting with Southern Regional Medical Center, a 331-bed, full-service hospital in Riverdale, Georgia. Of note, the medical center offers comprehensive testing and treatment for cardiovascular disease and is a Primary Certified Stroke Center. Southern Regional’s state-of-the-art surgery department is equipped to perform complex procedures such as robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery. Southern Regional Health System is also comprised of the Georgia Orthopedic Institute, The Women’s Life Center for expectant mothers, four sleep diagnostic centers, and a Bariatric Center. Spivey Station, a second location in Jonesboro, Georgia offers women’s services, complete lab and imaging services, and a newly integrated outpatient surgery and pain management center.
About PHA
The Partnership for Health and Accountability, formed in January 2000 and sponsored by the Georgia Hospital Association, is a unique statewide collaborative that brings together health care providers with community agencies and individuals to achieve healthy communities. PHA includes representation from groups like hospitals, physicians, state health officials, legislators and businesses.