Arkansas hospitals receive $4.5 million in performance bonuses
by December 21, 2016 7:46 am 185 views
Twenty-six Arkansas hospitals received more than $4.5 million in performance bonuses from Arkansas Medicaid and Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care. The bonuses were part of the annual Inpatient Quality Incentive program and were handed out at the annual Arkansas Medicaid Educational Conference at Embassy Suites in Little Rock on Dec. 7.
Compared to the 2015 program, three more hospitals received the bonuses, and the amount handed out increased by $800,000. This is the 10th year for the program, which was developed by Arkansas Medicaid, the Arkansas Hospital Association and AFMC. The program rewards hospitals for their “commitment to quality and providing evidence-based care to their patients.”
Since the program started in 2007, Arkansas Medicaid has given nearly $40 million to hospitals “base on their successful performance in improving the quality of healthcare and patient outcomes that align with Arkansas Medicaid’s clinical priorities.”
Hospitals that participate in the program are required to provide data on quality measures, and it is independently verified. “Hospitals must meet specific quality goals for at least 80% of eligible measures in order to receive bonus payments, which are adjusted annually to continually improve quality.”
In 2016, the performance-based program focused on quality measures that led to the following results:
- Since fall 2009, elective deliveries of babies before 39 weeks of gestation have decreased more than 97%
- Since 2011, breast milk feeding has increased 31%
- Low-risk caesarian sections for first-time mothers have declined 21% statewide
- Screening for hospital patients who use tobacco happens 99% of the time
- Patients who use tobacco are offered counseling to quit and cessation medications.
Hospitals or healthcare systems receiving bonuses include:
- Arkansas Methodist Medical Center
- Baptist Health
- CHI St. Vincent
- Conway Regional Medical Center
- Delta Memorial Hospital
- Forrest City Medical Center
- Great River Medical Center
- Helena Regional Medical Center
- Jefferson Regional Medical Center
- Johnson Regional Medical Center
- Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas
- North Arkansas Regional Medical Center
- Northwest Health
- Ouachita County Medical Center
- Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center
- Sparks Health System
- Bernards Medical Center
- Unity Health – White County Medical Center
- Wadley Regional Medical Center at Hope
- Washington Regional Medical Center
- White River Medical Center