Sarasota Memorial Hospital Named Among 100 Top Hospitals

The 100 Top Hospitals were chosen from 2,752 hospitals across the country that outperformed peer group hospitals on all clinical and operational performance benchmarks evaluated in the study, including: inpatient mortality and complications, healthcare-associated infections, readmission rates, length of stay, costs of care and patient satisfaction.

If all hospitals were to achieve the same performance benchmarks as those included on this year’s list, IBM Watson Health projects it would save 103,000 lives, prevent complications in 38,000 patients, result in 155,000 fewer hospital readmissions and lead to 12 percent lower medical bills than the average patient receiving care.

“At a time when research shows that the U.S. spends nearly twice as much on healthcare as other high-income countries, yet has less effective population health outcomes, the 100 Top Hospitals are setting a different example by delivering consistently better care at a lower cost,” said Ekta Punwani, 100 Top Hospitals® program leader at IBM Watson Health.

Following were the key performance measurements on which 100 Top Hospitals outperformed non-winning peer group hospitals: 

•Higher Survival Rates: The 100 Top Hospitals achieved survival rates that were 24.9 percent higher than those of peer hospitals.

•Fewer Complications and Infections: Patients at winning hospitals experienced 18.7 percent fewer complications and 19.3 percent fewer healthcare-associated infections than peer group hospitals.

•Shorter Length of Stay: Winning hospitals had a median severity-adjusted length of stay that was one half-day shorter (0.5) than peers.

•Shorter Emergency Department Wait Times: Overall, winning hospitals delivered median emergency department wait times that were 17.3 minutes shorter than those of peer group hospitals.

•Lower Inpatient Expenses: Average inpatient costs per discharge were 11.9 percent lower (a difference of $830 per discharge) at 100 Top Hospitals versus peer group hospitals.

•Higher Overall Margins: Winning hospitals maintained a median operating margin that was 11.9 percentage points higher than peer group hospitals.

•Higher Patient Satisfaction: Overall hospital experience, as measured by the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS), was rated 3 percent higher for winning hospitals than peer group hospitals.

This is the fourth time Sarasota Memorial has received the 100 Top Hospitals award. Sarasota Memorial CEO David Verinder credits the achievement to the health system’s mission-driven team and the unwavering vision of its publicly elected Sarasota County Public Hospital Board. 

 “From our unpaid Hospital Board to our front-line staff, physicians, volunteers and leaders, there’s a strong sense of community and responsibility that drives everything we do,” Verinder said. “This award is a reflection of the entire team’s dedication to provide the highest quality care to the community and people we serve.”

Formerly known as the Truven Health Analytics 100 Top Hospitals, the study spotlighted the best–performing hospitals in the U.S. based on a balanced scorecard of publicly available clinical, operational, and patient satisfaction metrics and data from 2013 to 2017 for most metrics. It has been conducted annually since 1993. More information on this study and other 100 Top Hospitals research is available at https://www.ibm.com/watson-health/services/100-top