UT Health Carthage

Hospitals should examine their own data to identify any differences in processes or outcomes for patients of different races and ethnicities, and patients who speak different languages. Hospitals should also put action plans in place if differences are identified.

Hospitals should have a never events policy that includes all nine (9) actions that should occur following a “never event,” which includes apologizing to the patient and not charging for costs associated with the never event.

Hospitals should have a high proportion of highly trained and skilled registered nurses (RNs) who have an advanced nursing degree.

Hospitals should have a rate of unintentional medication discrepancies per medication that is lower than or equal to the 50th percentile (where lower performance is better) nationally.

Hospitals should have fewer than expected colon infections from C. diff bacteria.

Leapfrog uses a standardized infection ratio (SIR) calculated by the CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) to compare the number of infections that actually happened at this hospital to the number of infections expected for this hospital, given various factors. A number lower than one means fewer infections than expected; a number more than one means more infections than expected.

Hospitals should have fewer than expected central-line associated blood stream infections.

Leapfrog uses a standardized infection ratio (SIR) calculated by the CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) to compare the number of infections that actually happened at this hospital to the number of infections expected for this hospital, given various factors. A number lower than one means fewer infections than expected; a number more than one means more infections than expected.

Hospitals should have fewer than expected catheter-associated urinary tract infections.

Leapfrog uses a standardized infection ratio (SIR) calculated by the CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) to compare the number of infections that actually happened at this hospital to the number of infections expected for this hospital, given various factors. A number lower than one means fewer infections than expected; a number more than one means more infections than expected.

Hospitals should have fewer than expected antibiotic resistant bacterial infections.

Leapfrog uses a standardized infection ratio (SIR) calculated by the CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) to compare the number of infections that actually happened at this hospital to the number of infections expected for this hospital, given various factors. A number lower than one means fewer infections than expected; a number more than one means more infections than expected.

Hospitals should have fewer than expected surgical site infections after major colon surgery.

Leapfrog uses a standardized infection ratio (SIR) calculated by the CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) to compare the number of infections that actually happened at this hospital to the number of infections expected for this hospital, given various factors. A number lower than one means fewer infections than expected; a number more than one means more infections than expected.

Hospitals should have intensivists present on-site at least eight hours a day, seven days per week or have intensivists present via 24/7 telemedicine with some on-site intensivist presence. When not in the ICU, the intensivist immediately responds to calls and has another physician or trained clinician who can immediately reach the patient.

Hospitals should have an average radiation dose for routine pediatric CT scans of the abdomen and pelvis that falls within national benchmarks.

Hospitals should have an average radiation dose for routine pediatric CT scans of the head that falls within national benchmarks.

Hospitals should perform at least 8 procedures annually, and as part of their process for privileging surgeons, ensure that each surgeon performs at least 5 procedures annually.

Hospitals should deliver at least 50 very-low birth weight babies per year OR the hospital must maintain a lower-than-average morbidity/mortality rate for very-low birth weight babies.

This is defined as first-time mothers giving birth to a single baby, at full-term, in the head-down position who deliver their babies through a C-section. Hospitals should have a rate of C-sections of 23.6% or less.

This is defined as mothers having an incision made in the perineum (the birth canal) during childbirth. Hospitals should have a rate of episiotomies of 5% or less.

Hospitals should screen at least 90% of babies for jaundice.

At least 90% of women undergoing a cesarean section receive treatment to prevent blood clots.

Hospitals should perform at least 20 procedures annually, and as part of their process for privileging surgeons, ensure that each surgeon performs at least 10 procedures annually.

Hospitals should perform at least 40 procedures annually, and as part of their process for privileging surgeons, ensure that each surgeon performs at least 20 procedures annually. In addition, hospitals should participate in a national clinical registry and achieve the same or better outcomes when compared to others who also perform this procedure.

Hospitals should perform at least 10 procedures annually, and as part of their process for privileging surgeons, ensure that each surgeon performs at least 7 procedures annually.

Hospitals should perform at least 50 procedures annually, and as part of their process for privileging surgeons, ensure that each surgeon performs at least 20 procedures annually.

Hospitals should perform at least 20 procedures annually, and as part of their process for privileging surgeons, ensure that each surgeon performs at least 7 procedures annually.

Hospitals should perform at least 40 procedures annually, and as part of their process for privileging surgeons, ensure that each surgeon performs at least 15 procedures annually.

The hospital performs at least 20 procedures annually, and as part of their process for privileging surgeons, ensures that each surgeon performs at least 10 procedures annually.

Hospitals should perform at least 16 procedures annually, and as part of their process for privileging surgeons, ensure that each surgeon performs at least 6 procedures annually.

Hospitals should perform at least 50 procedures annually, and as part of their process for privileging surgeons, ensure that each surgeon performs at least 25 procedures annually.

Hospitals should perform at least 50 procedures annually, and as part of their process for privileging surgeons, ensure that each surgeon performs at least 25 procedures annually.

Hospitals should go through all the elements of a complete safe surgery checklist on all patients every time a surgery is performed.

Hospitals should ensure that a specially certified clinician is present and immediately available while an adult patient is present until discharge.

Hospitals should ensure that a specially certified clinician is present and immediately available while pediatric patient is present until discharge.

Hospitals should go through all the elements of a complete safe surgery checklist on all patients every time a procedure is performed.

Hospitals should perform better than most on four (4) areas including regarding the experience of adult patients: (a) facilities and staff (b) communication about the procedure, (c) patients’ overall rating of the facility, and (d) patients' willingness to recommend the facility.

Unplanned hospital visits can occur when patients experience complications after a colonoscopy procedure. Facilities should have a rate of unplanned hospital visits that is lower than most hospitals and surgery centers.