The annual measurement of hospital quality of care by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield resulted in Johnson Memorial Hospital scoring in the top percentile among the hospital’s peer group in 2011 with a final score of 101. Johnson Memorial has participated in the Anthem scorecard program since 2000. Since 2004 the hospital’s scores have consistently placed Johnson Memorial in the top percentile among its peer hospitals.

Anthem’s scorecard looks at three areas– patient safety, health outcomes and patient satisfaction – as the core of its measurement. The scorecard has continued to evolve as Anthem has evaluated improvements in the quality of patient care provided in the state, and as new national quality measurement standards have been developed. Anthem now follows the same health outcomes guidelines that the government uses to determine Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement.

Anthem weighs the scores, giving the most weight to health outcomes, 55 percent, which is based on publicly reported core measures. Patient safety is given 40 percent of the score and is based on National Quality Foundation measures. Patient satisfaction is given 5 percent of the score and is based on the HCAHPS (Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems) survey, the first national, standardized, publicly reported survey of patients’ perspectives of hospital care.

Bonus points are also given in areas like implementing electronic medical records, following World Health Organization surgical safety standards and having a tobacco free campus.

“Our focus in on patient safety and safe, productive outcomes based on national standards,” states Charlene Boggs, Director of Quality Resources for Johnson Memorial Hospital. “We follow evidence-based procedures based on current clinical standards of care.”