Shawnee Mission Medical Center named one of the nation's top 100 hospitals by IBM Watson Health

Shawnee Mission Medical Center was named one of the nation's 100 Top Hospitals by IBM Watson Health. Formerly known as the Truven Health Analytics 100 Top Hospitals, this study spotlights the top-performing hospitals in the U.S. list based on a balanced scorecard of publicly available clinical, operational and patient satisfaction metrics and data.

The Watson Health 100 Top Hospitals study uses independent and objective research to analyze hospital and health system performance in 11 areas, addressing: inpatient mortality; 30-day mortality rate; complications; core measures; 30-day risk-adjusted readmission rate; severity-adjusted average length of stay; mean emergency room throughput; inpatient expense per discharge; Medicare spend per beneficiary; adjusted operating profit margin; and Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) score (patient rating of overall hospital performance). The study has been conducted annually since 1993. This is the fourth time SMMC has been recognized with this honor.

'We're honored to have earned this designation from IBM Watson Health,' said Lori Cue, administrative director of quality and safety. 'This is a testament to the work our nurses, physicians and staff do each day to provide exceptional care to the Kansas City community.'

Based on the results of this year's study, IBM Watson Health estimates that if all Medicare inpatients received the same level of care as those treated in the award-winning facilities:

• More than 102,000 additional lives could be saved
• More than 43,000 additional patients could be complication-free
• More than $4.4 billion in inpatient costs could be saved
• Approximately 200,000 fewer discharged patients would be readmitted within 30 days

'The country's best hospitals have proven that an unrelenting focus on quality, supported by constant measurement against peer performance benchmarks, can drive improved outcomes while reducing costs and growing profit margins,' said Jean Chenoweth, senior vice president, 100 Top Hospitals Programs, IBM Watson Health. 'Congratulations to this 25th anniversary class of 100 Top Hospitals who have helped raise the bar for healthcare in the U.S. and improve the healthcare experiences of the people in their communities.'