The Medical Center has been named one of the nation’s top 10 academic medical centers, according to a study released by Baltimore-based HCIA Inc., a leading health care information company, and Mercer Management Consulting.
In another study, 87 U-M physicians are included in the 1993–94 edition of The Best Doctors in America, some for more than one medical specialty. U-M-affiliated physicians account for more than one-half of the listings from the state of Michigan.
The HCIA-Mercer study rated 5,600 acute care hospitals according to performance in eight areas that reflect high value provided to customers, efficiency of patient care operations and investment in operations.
The results, published in 100 Top Hospitals—Benchmark for Success, indicate that the U.S. hospital system could save up to $28 billion by following the leads of the best providers. Such improvements include shortening length of stay, reducing mortality and morbidity rates, and investing cash flow in physical assets.
“It’s gratifying to be recognized for our efforts to provide excellent quality care while controlling costs,” says John D. Forsyth, executive director of Uni-versity Hospitals.
“This is a challenging time for health care providers as consumers demand the greatest value for their dollars. We are pleased that we have been able to save more than $43 million during the past three years through the cooperative efforts of our staff, while continuing to attract and retain the top medical professionals in their fields,” he adds.
Listings in The Best Doctors in America, published by Woodward/White Inc. of South Carolina, are based on an extensive nationwide poll of thousands of medical specialists who were asked to rate the clinical abilities of their peers by answering the following question:
“If a friend or loved one came to you with a medical problem in your field of expertise, and for some reason you could not handle the case, to whom would you send them?”
Slightly more than 2 percent of the nation’s 350,000 practicing physicians are included in the second edition of the reference guide.
