CULLMAN, Ala. – Cullman Regional’s continuous improvement initiatives have earned attention and awards from national institutions such as U.S. News & World Report and the American Heart Association. The hospital recently earned recognitions as well as multiple performance and compliance rankings well above national and state benchmarks, according to a media release.
“To perform this well in multiple healthcare disciplines requires tremendous teamwork and clear sight to the overall goal of high-quality care,” said Cullman Regional CEO James Clements. “We want the communities we serve to know about the work being done here, and to feel confident in their local hospital.”
The hospital’s awards and rankings indicate its ability to effectively implement quality improvement initiatives, which are frequently prescribed courses of action by regulating agencies. While the initiatives are typically complex and require a well-coordinated and multi-disciplinary approach, the results are well worth the effort.
One example of a successful coordinated effort is the hospital’s sepsis initiative. Based on calculations previously used by the Hospital Improvement Innovation Network to track hospital sepsis management, Cullman Regional’s implementation of sepsis protocols since 2017 has resulted in an estimated 194 lives saved.
“The mentality here is a consistent and constant drive to improve,” said Cullman Regional Chief Medical Officer William E. Smith. “It’s an approach to our work shared by employees, medical staff and leadership.”
A complete list of the hospital’s recent rankings and awards:
AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS
- 2022 U.S. News & World Report “Best Hospitals” American College of Cardiology NCDR Participant
- 2022 American Heart Association Get with The Guidelines® Heart Failure Gold Plus Award
- 2022 American Heart Association Get with The Guidelines® Stroke Gold Plus Award
RANKINGS
- CMS Hospital Compare – Top 10% Performance
- Sepsis Early Management Bundle – 99% (National 57% – State 55%)
Measures compliance with evidence-based management of sepsis and correlates with lives saved
- Outpatient Colonoscopy Screening – 100% (National 90% – State 85%)
Measures compliance with best practice screening colonoscopy including communication to ensure ongoing screening at appropriate intervals
- Elective Delivery < 39 Weeks Gestation – 0% (National 2% – State 2%)
Measures avoidance of premature elective delivery- Cullman Regional has no elective deliveries less than 39 weeks of gestation
- CMS Hospital Compare – Additional Rankings Outperforming National and State
- Stroke Head CT Scan Results – 80% (National 71% – State 56%)
Measures the percentage of patients with suspected stroke who have a head CT report available within recommended time after arrival
- Acute Myocardial Infarction Fibrinolytic Therapy Within 30 minutes – 91% (National 53% -State 60%)
Measures the immediate treatment of heart attack patients- specifically, administering clot buster medication within 30 minutes of arrival
- Acute Myocardial Infarction Median Time to Transfer for Intervention – 49 minutes (National 61 minutes– State 71 minutes)
Measures the time from arrival in the ED with a heart attack to the time transferred out for angioplasty or stent placement
- Median Time from ED arrival to departure – 136 minutes (National 155 minutes – State 144 minutes)
Measures the time a patient spends in the emergency department
