ST. LOUIS – All seven SSM Health Care – St. Louis hospitals are stepping up their efforts to make health care safer and less costly by participating in the “Partnership for Patients” initiative, a federally approved and federally supported initiative to make hospitals across the United States safer.
Partnership for Patients was established by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Innovation Center (CMS) as a public-private partnership that offers support to physicians, nurses and other clinicians working in and out of hospitals to keep patients from getting injured or sicker while in the hospital so they can heal without complications. CMS estimates this partnership has the potential to save 60,000 lives and reduce millions of preventable injuries and complications in patient care over the next three years. It also has the potential to save as much as $35 billion, including up to $10 billion in Medicare savings.
All 16 SSM Health Care hospitals, of which SSM Health Care – St. Louis is a member, have joined with the Premier healthcare alliance to participate in the initiative. Premier, a performance improvement alliance of hospitals and other health care organizations working together to achieve high quality, cost-effective care, is one of 26 organizations approved by CMS to participate in the initiative. More than 540 hospitals across the country are partnering with Premier to participate in Partnership for Patients. Locally, this initiative will be taking place at SSM DePaul Health Center, SSM Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center, SSM St. Clare Health Center, SSM St. Joseph Health Center, SSM St. Joseph Health Center – Wentzville, SSM St. Joseph Hospital West, and SSM St. Mary's Health Center.
As a member of the Partnership for Patients initiative, all SSM Health Care hospitals will focus on reducing preventable readmissions to hospitals by 20 percent and reducing preventable hospital-acquired conditions by 40 percent over the next three years.
“SSM Health Care – St. Louis already has a strong reputation for eliminating infections and preventing other types of complications while patients are healing,” said Dr. Scott Endsley, vice president and chief medical officer for SSM Health Care’s Patient Safety and Quality Center. “By participating in the Partnership for Patients initiative, we are renewing our focus and dedication to providing safe, high quality and cost effective patient care.”
In total, Partnership for Patients consists of more than 6,500 partners, including more than 3,100 hospitals and 2,300 physicians, nurses, and patient advocates.
For more about the Partnership for Patients initiative, please visit the healthcare.gov website: http://www.healthcare.gov/compare/partnership-for-patients/index.html
About SSM Health Care – St. Louis
SSM Health Care – St. Louis’ mission statement — “Through our exceptional health care services, we reveal the healing presence of God” — is embodied by 11,000 employees and 2,500 staff physicians. Sponsored by the Franciscan Sisters of Mary, the health care network offers comprehensive health care services, but specializes in heart, cancer, neurosciences, pediatrics, weight-loss, sleep, imaging, behavioral health, rehab and fetal surgery. A winner of the Missouri Quality Award and multiple Best Places to Work awards, SSM Health Care – St. Louis includes seven hospitals ― Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center, DePaul Health Center, St. Clare Health Center, St. Joseph Health Center, St. Joseph Health Center – Wentzville, St. Joseph Hospital West and St. Mary’s Health Center ― a free-standing ambulatory care center (St. Joseph Medical Park), plus a Managed Care Organization (MCO), and a Physicians' Organization (PO). Go to www.ssmhealth.com for more information.
For media inquires only, contact:
Kristen Johnson
Media Relations Specialist
SSM Health Care – St. Louis
314-989-2208 (office)
314-908-0225 (pager)
kristen_johnson@ssmhc.com