A Healthcare Contradiction:
US Government Data Shows Physician Owned Hospitals 1st in 19 states AND
US Government Bans New Physician Owned Hospitals - Halts Expansion
(Washington, D.C. - Dec. 28, 2010) – Even for the US Government, the contradiction is astounding. It’s Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey proves the value of physician owned hospitals. A review of the data by Consumer Reports shows physician hospitals rank #1 in patient satisfaction in 19 states. Keep in mind there are only 275 physician owned hospitals in 35 states, compared with more than 5700 hospitals nationwide. HCAHPS is a standardized publicly reported survey required by the government for all hospitals to measure their patients' perspectives of hospital care.
Despite this overwhelming endorsement of the physician owned model, healthcare reform bans new physician owned hospitals. On December 31st any physician owned hospital construction projects will enter a legal limbo, with their owners unsure if they will ever be able to serve their patients and communities.. Forty three hospitals are currently racing the deadline. Another 37 have already abandoned their expansion or construction projects. This means that communities that are counting on these new hospitals to improve access and quality will be denied.
”The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and HCAHPS have taken substantial steps to assure that the survey is credible, useful, and practical,” says Michael Russell, MD, Physician Hospitals of America president. “This is the data our legislators should be using to decide how to best improve healthcare in our country.”
Below is an analysis of state-by-state results of 2009 HCAHPS data by Consumer Reports:
- Arkansas – the top two hospitals are physician owned; plus four of the top seven are physician owned hospitals
- Arizona – the number one in the state is a physician owned hospital; plus four of the top five are physician owned hospitals
- California – the top two are physician owned hospitals
- Colorado – the top hospital is physician owned
- Idaho – the top two are physician owned hospitals; three of the top four are physician owned
- Indiana – the top two are physician owned hospitals and four of the top five are owned by physicians
- Kansas – the top five are physician owned hospitals; plus 10 of the top 13 are physician owned hospitals
- Louisiana – the top nine hospitals are all physician owned hospitals
- Montana – the number one hospital is physician owned, plus two of the top four are physician owned hospitals
- North Carolina – the top one is a physician owned hospital
- Nebraska – the top two hospitals are physician owned
- New Mexico – the number one hospital is physician owned
- Nevada – the top hospital is a physician owned hospital
- Ohio – the top two are physician owned hospitals
- Oklahoma – the number one hospital is physician owned , plus 8 of the top 10 are physician owned hospitals
- South Dakota – five of the top six are physician owned hospitals
- Texas – the top three hospitals are owned by physicians and 16 of the top 26 are physician owned hospitals
- Utah – the top one is a physician owned hospital
- Washington – the top one is a physician owned hospital
- Wisconsin – the top two are physician owned hospitals
The quality data is available at www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov.
Physician Hospitals of America (PHA) is the national trade association representing the nation's physician owned hospitals. Based on federal government surveys, physician owned hospitals consistently rank high in both quality and patient satisfaction. For more information visit: www.physicianhospitals.org
Contact: Leslie Fossey
(903)539‐7712 / leslie@azaleaortho.com
Keri Bolte
(312) 961-4745 / keri@physicianhospitals.org
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