Quality and Safety

A healthcare IT company focused on reducing costly "never events" in hospitals by keeping track of used surgical sponges has raised $5 million to continue and expand its work.

Pennsylvania's hospitals are above average when compared to national benchmarks of healthcare quality and often improve at a faster rate than the rest of the country, according to the Pennsylvania Health Care Quality Alliance.

Innovent Oncology, a division of US Oncology, has engaged the actuarial and consulting firm Milliman to help develop risk contracting methodologies - including episode rates, bundled payments and capitation - to help identify potential areas where oncologists can improve quality of care while lowering health costs.

St. Vincent's HealthCare in Jacksonville, Fla., has announced it will help the city's major employers set up onsite health centers.

A new study estimates that measurable medical errors cost the U.S. economy $19.5 billion in 2008.

A new initiative from the California HealthCare Foundation will focus on reducing preventable patient readmissions in 20 hospitals across the state.

St. Luke's Hospital & Health Network in Bethlehem, Pa., has leveraged its participation in three different quality initiatives to improve the quality of healthcare delivery.

A study published in the May 2010 online issue of Health Affairs finds that large multi-specialty medical groups provide higher quality care at a lower cost compared with physicians in small group practices.

Premier healthcare alliance, which encompasses 2,300 not-for profit hospitals and health systems and more than 63,000 other healthcare organizations, addressed healthcare reform in a letter to Congressional leadership Jan. 12.

Hospitals participating in the Premier healthcare alliance's QUEST: High Performing Hospitals national collaborative have saved an estimated 8,043 lives and $577 million in one year, according to an analysis from Premier.