Boone Health has lowest readmission rates in Missouri
The key statistic measures the percentage of people readmitted to a hospital within 30 days; Boone Health tied with Mosaic Medical Center in Maryville for the lowest rate in the state.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Returning to a hospital after either an in-patient or out-patient procedure increases the risk of infection, not to mention that it puts additional financial strain on families and the health care system. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid regularly measure the number of readmissions as a way to determine the clinical quality of a hospital. In the most recently released data, Boone Health tied with one other hospital in the state of Missouri for the lowest readmission rate.
“This is an absolutely amazing recognition based on hard data figures for Boone Health,” said Brady Dubois, president and CEO of Boone Health. “Readmission rates are a key statistic for hospitals across the nation. To be recognized as having the best readmission rate in the state indicates yet again that patients can have confidence knowing they are getting the best possible clinical care right here in their own community.”
The national average readmission rate was 15%. Boone Health tied with Mosaic Medical Center in Maryville with a three-year average readmission rate of 13.3%, meaning that only 13.3% of patients were readmitted to a hospital within 30 days.
“A low hospital readmission rate confirms that an organization has several key procedures and processes in place,” said Lana Zerrer, chief medical officer for Boone Health. “This includes good care transition, the proper education for both the patient and the family, that the discharge is happening at the right time, and the location for the discharge – home, rehabilitation unit, or skilled nursing home – is the best place for the patient.”
Zerrer stressed that key factors include having a plan in place for follow up care and ensuring that the physician caring for the patient after the hospital stay has all the information necessary. Education for the family and patient should include what to do if things are not going well at home after discharge. Patients and their families should always feel confident that they know what to do before they leave the hospital.
“I knew that when I joined Boone Health just seven months ago, I was joining one of the highest quality hospitals in the state,” Zerrer said. “And in my short time here, I have seen evidence of this daily. This ranking of our readmission rates is proof of the wonderful care we provide. I greatly appreciate the opportunity to work with such great physicians, providers, nurses, and staff.”