Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1235187
40 QUALITY IMPROVEMENT & MEASUREMENT Leapfrog names 2019 Top Hospitals By Mackenzie Bean T he Leapfrog Group recognized 120 hospitals nation- wide with its 2019 Top Hospitals award Dec. 17. To compile the list, The Leapfrog Group analyzed self-reported data from its annual hospital survey, which compares hospitals' performance on national patient safety, quality, efficiency and management standards. Of the 120 organizations, Leapfrog recognized 10 as top children's hospitals, 37 as top general hospitals, 55 as top teaching hospitals and 18 as top rural hospitals. Florida had the most top hospitals of all states at 21, followed by California with 16 top hospitals. Here is a state-by-state breakdown of where Leapfrog Group's Top Hospitals are located in alphabetical order: • California — 16 Top Hospitals • Colorado — 2 • Florida — 21 • Georgia — 2 • Idaho — 1 • Illinois — 8 • Indiana — 1 • Kentucky — 1 • Louisiana — 1 • Maine — 1 • Massachusetts — 3 • Michigan — 9 • Missouri — 1 • Nebraska — 1 • Nevada — 4 • New Jersey — 7 • New Mexico — 1 • New York — 3 • North Carolina — 5 • Ohio — 1 • Pennsylvania — 6 • Rhode Island — 1 • South Carolina — 2 • Tennessee — 2 • Texas — 7 • Utah — 1 • Virginia — 9 • Washington — 3 n National Quality Forum: 3 ways to improve star ratings By Mackenzie Bean T he National Quality Forum on Nov. 6 shared three recommendations to improve the CMS Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating program. More than 20 healthcare experts representing patients, health- care providers, employers and health plans developed the recommendations during a summit NQF held this summer in Washington, D.C. The recommendations are: 1. Better align the ratings' methodology with the program's overall intent and goals. 2. Be transparent about what the star ratings actually convey: a summary of measures on Hospital Compare for consumers. 3. Improve the presentation of quality data to make the ratings more actionable and relevant for healthcare organizations. n Childhood trauma linked to poor health outcomes, CDC finds By Gabrielle Masson N early 61 percent of adults have experienced an adverse childhood experience, which is linked to poor health out- comes later in life, according to the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report published Nov. 5. The CDC analyzed survey data on 144,017 adults in 25 states between 2015 and 2017 from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveil- lance System. The survey screened respondents for eight different types of childhood trauma, such as physical abuse or having a family member with a substance use disorder. Respondents also self-reported health outcomes for conditions including cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, depression, obesity and heavy drinking, among others. Nearly 16 percent of adults reported four or more types of ad- verse childhood experiences, which were significantly associated with poorer health outcomes, health risk behaviors and socioeco- nomic challenges. Younger adults reported more types of child- hood trauma than older adults, particularly those 65 or older. By implementing comprehensive approaches to prevent adverse childhood experiences, the CDC estimates that the U.S. could decrease the obesity rate by 1.7 percent, heavy drinking by 23.9 percent, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease by 27 and de- pression by 44.1 percent. n