IBM Watson names Mercy among top five large health systems for 2019
by April 25, 2019 11:44 am 1,004 views
Missouri-based Mercy healthcare system, which has a significant presence in both Northwest Arkansas and the Fort Smith metro, has been named one of the top five large health systems in the nation in the 2019 IBM Watson Health 15 Top Health Systems report. The annual study recognizes five large, five medium and five small systems from 337 health systems and 2,961 hospitals across the U.S.
This is the fourth consecutive year Mercy has been named a top five large health system nationally. Other large health systems in the top five this year are Avera Health (South Dakota), Mayo Foundation (Minnesota), St. Luke’s Health System (Idaho) and UCHealth (Colorado).
“We’re proud of the exceptional medical care Mercy provides in our communities and grateful to be part of a top-ranked, innovative health care system that still strives toward improvement every day,” Mercy Hospital President Ryan Gehrig said in a statement.
In March, Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas in Rogers also was named one of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals by IBM Watson Health.
“Our hospitals’ focus on quality care continues to make a huge difference to the patients we serve, delivered in the spirit of the Sisters of Mercy who came before us,” said Eric Pianalto, president of Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas.
Watson Health, an IBM company, produces the only study of its kind to combine rigorous analysis of individual hospital performance metrics into system-level data, identifying the best health systems in the nation. This annual, quantitative scorecard uses objective, independent research and public data sources. Health systems do not apply for consideration, and winners do not pay to market their award.
The study shows that Mercy outperformed peers in the following ways:
- Saved more lives and caused fewer patient complications
- Lower cost of care
- Readmitted patients less frequently
- Shorter wait times in emergency departments
- Shorter hospital stays
- Better patient safety
- Higher patient satisfaction
“We are honored once again to be ranked among the top hospital systems in the nation, and we applaud the efforts of our 45,000 co-workers who together provide quality care and ensure patient safety across Mercy,” said Lynn Britton, president and CEO of Mercy.