Quality Indicators

St. Joseph Heritage Medical Group Named California Physician Organization Top Performer

St. Joseph Heritage Medical Group achieved overall performance in the top 20 percent in 2008 based on the statewide pay for performance (P4P) program measures by the Integrated Healthcare Association (IHA). Top performer awards were presented at the IHA Pay for Performance Stakeholders Meeting in Los Angeles on September 24, 2009, and are based on performance in four measurement domains: clinical quality, patient experience, information technology-enabled systems, and coordinated diabetes care.

The clinical quality measures are adapted from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA - a private, not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality). NCQA's Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS®), is the most widely used set of performance measures in health care. The measures include breast, colorectal, and cervical cancer screening, child immunizations and the treatment of diabetes and asthma. Patient experience is evaluated by asking patients about their experiences with their doctors and medical groups. These questions are based on communication with their physicians and office staff, coordination of care across settings, and their experience in receiving timely service. Finally, physician groups were rated on their investment and adoption of information technology (IT) to create evidence-based, systematic care processes which support effective patient care.

Heritage Earns Five Star Service Award

Also in 2009, St. Joseph Heritage Medical Group was awarded the Avatar International Award for “Five Star Service Loyalty and Endorsement 2008.” The Five Star Service Award is based on the results from Avatar patient satisfaction surveys capturing information from Heritage patients. The awards are given to healthcare facilities achieving the highest scores in Avatar’s national database.

The surveys reflect the trust patients place in Heritage. Loyalty and Endorsement items in the survey were: 1) I would prefer to return to without hesitation, if care is needed; and 2) “I would recommend without hesitation to others.”