PUTNAM —  A preliminary report issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services indicates that Day Kimball Hospital, part of the Day Kimball Healthcare (DKH) integrated system, has earned a “two” rating in the Hospital Acquired Condition (HAC) Reduction Program, which is the second best score among 30 Connecticut hospitals. New Milford Hospital earned a score of one. 

According to Kaiser Health News, Medicare calculated preliminary HAC scores from one to ten, “…with the higher number indicating that the hospital had a greater rate of patient harm.” Hospitals with scores of seven or more are in jeopardy of being penalized with lower Medicare reimbursements as part of the “pay for performance” standards initiated in the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

 “We’re very encouraged by this evaluation, which is the result of a system-wide effort at Day Kimball that is focused on the delivery of high quality health care on a 24/7 basis,” said John Graham, MD, DKH vice president for medical affairs and quality/chief medical officer. “This HAC score validates that our hard work is resulting in positive results for our patients, but it also underscores that we can’t let up and that there is always room for improvement.” 

Dr. Graham explained that these are “preliminary scores” based upon an analysis for the 12-month period July 2012 through June 2013. Final scores will be based upon the two-year period from the beginning of 2012 through the end of 2013, which means that the scores could change. 

The three measures that Medicare is using to calculate the HAC scores are: 

* Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections

* Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections

* Serious Infections (of which there are eight types)

“For the past 120 years, patient care has been the number one priority for Day Kimball,” said Dr. Graham. “In the ‘new’ health care environment, delivering positive outcomes now comes with a financial reward that will enable our organization to continue to operate as a strong and vibrant member of the northeast Connecticut community.”