For immediate release: Jan. 16, 2012

Contact Kevin Darst, 970.237.7110 kcd1@pvhs.org

Poudre Valley Health System has been named one of the top 15 health systems in the nation by Thomson Reuters.

In comparison to their peers, systems such as Poudre Valley Health System in Thomson Reuters' Top 15 Health Systems:

• Saved more lives and caused fewer patient complications.
• Followed industry-recommended standards of care more closely.
• Made fewer patient safety errors.
• Released patients half a day sooner.
• Scored better on overall patient satisfaction.

[Thomson Reuters' press release about the Top 15 Health Systems]

Thompson Reuters divided its list of winning health systems into three categories - small, medium and large systems - based on total operating expense. Each category had three winners. Poudre Valley Health System, with revenue less than $750 million, was one of five winners in the "small health systems" category.

The study relied on public data from the 2010 Medicare Provider Analysis and Review (MedPAR) data and the CMS Hospital Compare data sets, according to Thomson Reuters.

Thomson Reuters explained its methodology this way:

"U.S. health systems with two or more short-term, general, non-federal hospitals; cardiac and orthopedic hospitals; and critical access hospitals were assessed in the study. Researchers looked at eight metrics that gauge clinical quality and efficiency: mortality, medical complications, patient safety, average length of stay, 30-day mortality rate, 30-day readmission rate, adherence to clinical standards of care (evidence-based core measures published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services), and HCAHPS patient survey score (part of a national initiative sponsored by the United States Department of Health and Human Services to measure the quality of care in hospitals)."

About Poudre Valley Health System

Poudre Valley Health System is a locally owned, private, nonprofit organization with a strong vision: to provide world-class health care. PVHS is a recipient of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the highest presidential honor for quality and process improvement.

Based in northern Colorado since 1925, PVHS provides evidence-based health care and wellness services in Colorado, Nebraska and Wyoming, serving more than 50,000 square miles. With more than 5,100 employees, PVHS is a regional medical hub that includes Poudre Valley Hospital and Medical Center of the Rockies, both Magnet Award recipients, and a network of medical and behavioral health clinics as part of Poudre Valley Medical Group.

-PVHS--