St. Luke's Magic Valley Earns National Recognition for Quality

 Twin Falls, Idaho, September 14, 2011 – St. Luke’s Magic Valley Medical Center today was named one of the nation’s top performers on key quality measures by The Joint Commission, the leading accreditor of health care organizations in America.  St. Luke’s Magic Valley Medical Center was recognized by The Joint Commission based on data reported about evidence-based clinical processes that are shown to improve care for certain conditions, including heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia, surgical care and children’s asthma.

St. Luke’s Magic Valley Medical Center is one of only 405 U.S. hospitals and critical access hospitals earning the distinction of top performer on key quality measures for attaining and sustaining excellence in accountability measure performance. Inclusion on the list is based on an aggregation of accountability measure data reported to The Joint Commission during the previous calendar year.  For example, this first recognition program is based on data that were reported for 2010.

To be recognized as a top performer on key quality measures an organization must meet two 95 percent performance thresholds. St. Luke’s Magic Valley Medical Center was recognized for achieving these thresholds for heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia and surgical care.

“Today, the public expects transparency in the reporting of performance at the hospitals where they receive care, and The Joint Commission is shining a light on the top performing hospitals such as St. Luke’s Magic Valley Medical Center that have achieved excellence on a number of vital measures of quality care,” says Mark R. Chassin, M.D., FACP, M.P.P., M.P.H., president, The Joint Commission.

“We understand that what matters most to patients at St. Luke’s Magic Valley Medical Center–safe, effective care.  That’s why St. Luke’s Magic Valley Medical Center has made a commitment to accreditation and to positive patient outcomes through evidence-based care process. St. Luke’s Magic Valley Medical Center is proud to be named to the list of The Joint Commission’s Top Performers on Key Quality Measures,” says Jim Angle, CEO.

In addition to being included in today’s release of The Joint Commission’s “Improving America’s Hospitals” annual report, stlukesonline.org, St. Luke’s Magic Valley Medical Center will be recognized on The Joint Commission’s Quality Check website (www.qualitycheck.org).

For more information, contact: Laura Stewart, (208) 814-0015 or lauras@slhs.org