Health System wins major nat'l award

This year marks the first time an academic medical center has won the award for quality health care. The University of Pennsylvania Health System, facing challenges ranging from a large budget deficit to increased competition from other area hospitals, got some much-needed good news yesterday after winning a prestigious award as one of the best medical systems in the country. The National Quality Health Care Award annually recognizes a health care system that successfully raises the quality of care in its component institutions. The award is given by the National Committee for Quality Health Care, a Washington-based group of health care industry leaders. Modern Healthcare, a trade magazine, co-sponsors the award. Although the award had never previously been given to an academic medical center, the Penn's Health System "was clearly the outstanding candidate," according to Committee President Catherine McDermott. The Health System, with annual revenues approaching $2 billion, comprises four hospitals with a total of 18,000 employees. The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania sits at the heart of the system. Three other hospitals -- Pennsylvania Hospital in Center City, Presbyterian Medical Center at 39th and Market streets and Phoenixville Hospital in Phoenixville, Pa. -- also provide advanced levels of care. Another six area hospitals are affiliated with the system, which includes more than 400 primary care physicians and 1,000 specialists. Members of the selection committee were particularly impressed by the Health System's standardized procedures in patient care, McDermott said. The University currently has 80 such "disease-management programs," covering 38 percent of patients. Officials anticipate expanding the program to cover 80 percent of patients by the year 2000. It is this system-wide uniformity which differentiates the Penn Health System from its counterparts, according to its chief medical officer, David Shulkin. "Across the full continuum of Penn's health-care system, from primary care to acute? [patients] get a proven approach," Shulkin said. Few other health systems have been able to implement such a system-wide disease-management plan, he noted. Such an approach has allowed the Health System to achieve large reductions in cost while improving care, according to officials. Although the Health System's operating deficit -- projected at $78 million for fiscal year 1998 -- could have given the awards committee grounds for hesitation, McDermott said the issue, while serious, "didn't give [the award selection committee] pause." "[The committee] considered it very seriously, but UPHS clearly had chosen the better path to go to a system of health care delivery," she said. Shulkin emphasized that the financial deficit is a short-term growing pain for the Health System, which he said should be back on solid footing within the next few years." The award also recognizes the organization and leadership of the University Health System. Credit for that achievement, McDermott said, goes to Chief Executive Officer William Kelley, who is also dean of the Medical School. Kelley was the keynote speaker at the presentation banquet last night, held at the Madison Hotel in Washington. "We are honored that our system-wide commitment to quality care has been so recognized on a national scale," he said in a statement. The Health System is the first Philadelphia-area health system to be recognized by the committee. Last year, the award recognized St. Luke's health system in Kansas City.