McLEOD DILLION 14 NOVEMBER 2014

(Dillon, SC) – McLeod Medical Center Dillon announced on November 13, 2014, it has been recognized as a 2013 Top Performer on Key Quality Measures® by The Joint Commission, the leading accreditor of health care organizations in the United States. McLeod Dillon was recognized for attaining and sustaining excellence in accountability measure performance for heart failure and pneumonia as part of The Joint Commission’s 2014 annual report "America’s Hospitals: Improving Quality and Safety." McLeod Dillon is one of 1,224 hospitals in the United States to achieve the 2013 Top Performer distinction.

"The high quality healthcare a patient receives in Dillon is equitable to any larger facility," said Dr. Phil Wallace, Medical Director of Clinical Effectiveness. "In fact, we stand out among other hospitals in efficiency.

"Over the past years, as evidence-based, best practices have evolved, we have implemented them at McLeod Dillon. We adopt these practices because our patients deserve the highest level of care. As a result, we achieve better outcomes, such as a decrease in mortality," continued Dr. Wallace. "The implementation of this work must be a goal of each employee and physician. One strong leader cannot do it. It takes everyone involved having the same genuine concern and commitment. At McLeod Dillon, our team is receptive, supportive and proud to make that commitment to each patient that we care for at our facility."

The Top Performer program recognizes hospitals for improving performance on evidence-based interventions that increase the chances of healthy outcomes for patients with certain conditions, including heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia, surgical care, children’s asthma, stroke, venous thromboembolism and perinatal care, as well as for inpatient psychiatric services and immunizations.

To be a 2013 Top Performer, hospitals had to meet three performance criteria based on 2013 accountability measure data, including:

• Achieving cumulative performance of 95 percent or above across all reported accountability measures;
• Achieving performance of 95 percent or above on each and every reported accountability measure where there were at least 30 denominator cases; and
• Having at least one core measure set that had a composite rate of 95 percent or above, and (within that measure set) all applicable individual accountability measures had a performance rate of 95 percent or above.

"Delivering the right treatment in the right way at the right time is a cornerstone of high-quality health care. I commend the efforts of McLeod Medical Center Dillon for their excellent performance on the use of evidence-based interventions," said Mark R. Chassin, M.D., FACP, M.P.P., M.P.H., president and CEO, The Joint Commission.

"We understand what matters most to patients at McLeod Dillon is the quality and safety of the care they receive. That is why we have made it a top priority to improve positive patient outcomes through evidence-based care processes," said Debbie Locklair, Administrator of McLeod Dillon. "McLeod Dillon is proud to be named a Top Performer as it recognizes the knowledge, teamwork and dedication of our entire hospital staff.

"The pursuit of quality improvement at McLeod Dillon is unending," said Locklair. "There is much to achieve as the staff seeks to improve the health of the people living within South Carolina and eastern North Carolina."

Dr. Michael Sutton, Orthopedic Surgeon and Chief of Staff at McLeod Dillon, commented, "At McLeod Dillon, quality is a focused, relentless pursuit to improve the delivery of care to patients and their families. I am proud to be a part of an organization that is being recognized nationally for quality. Improving the quality of life for patients is the reason physicians choose to practice medicine, and we are accomplishing that each day at McLeod Dillon."

In the healthcare improvement process, McLeod Dillon follows the McLeod Health model of quality that engages physicians, staff and leadership in processes to improve quality. Throughout the McLeod Health organization, there is a commitment to create a patient care experience that is safe, timely, patient-centered, effective, efficient and equitable for every patient, every time.

"At McLeod Dillon, we treat every patient as if they were our mother, father, child or loved one. This is demonstrated in the quality of care that we provide to our patients," said Christie Hunt, a nurse in the Operating Room. "Our mission to offer this level of care to patients is why I have been a member of the McLeod Dillon family for more than 15 years."

Individualized patient-centered care is a reflection of how McLeod staff members communicate and demonstrate the McLeod Values of Caring, Person, Quality and Integrity each day. This type of approach is designed with the patient as a partner in his care.

"Collectively, we take pride in this accomplishment," said Dr. Benjamin Mitchell, Medical Director of Hospitalists at McLeod Dillon. "It is a positive step in our quality journey, yet we recognize that you can never stop improving care for patients. Healthcare is constantly becoming more complex and challenging, but our team is committed to providing the best care possible to our patients now and in the future."

For more information about the Top Performer program, visit http://www.jointcommission.org/accreditation/top_performers.aspx.

About McLeod Dillon

With a strong history in the Dillon community since 1943, McLeod Dillon has continued to grow and expand to serve residents of Dillon (SC), Marion (SC), Marlboro (SC), and Robeson (NC) counties with excellence in patient care. The Joint Commission accredited medical center employs 350 and has the strength of 100 physicians on its medical staff. McLeod Dillon offers general and orthopedic surgery, women’s services, emergency services, intensive care, rehabilitative services and cardiac rehabilitation. Investments in state of the art technology to improve patient care have included Open MRI, digital mammography, 4D ultrasounds, CT Scans, and nuclear and vascular studies.