Nyack Hospital Honored as Top Performer by Joint Commission

Congresswoman Nita Lowey congratulated the staff of Nyack Hospital for being recognized as a Top Performer on Key Quality Measures by the Joint Commission for the third consecutive year Friday during an awards presentation in the hospital's Krutz Auditorium.

"I am delighted to congratulate everyone at Nyack hospital for being named, quote, a top performer in the treatment of heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia and surgical care by the Joint Commission," Lowey said. "This really is an incredible achievement. I know by looking at the doctors, the nurses, everybody that works at the hospital, that you can all give yourselves a big hand.

"It takes a team to reach this standard and you have put together an amazing team here."

The Joint Commission recognized 1,099 hospitals in the United States as a Top Performer, approximately 33 percent of all of its accredited hospitals, but only 182 earned the status for a third consecutive year. The Joint Commission evaluates hospitals on care for heat attack, pneumonia, surgery, children's asthma, stroke and venous thromboembolism and added immunization for pneumonia and influenza. Nyack Hospital was recognized for its high performance in 2012 for heart attack, heart failure, penumonia, and surgical care.

"What are the most common things people go to the hospital for? Heart disease, heart attacks, congestive heart failure, surgery and pneumonia," said Dr. Michael Rader, Nyack Hospital Vice President and Medical Director. "The government and the Joint Commission on Quality Organizations many years ago decided that these would be the areas, if you get these right, you can get other things right. If you did this right, you did everything else right."

Rader said the award is more significant because it can only be earned by achieving the performance standards and that is is not paid for. 

"Nyack Hospital and all the Top Performer hospitals have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to quality improvement and they should be proud of their achievement," said Joint Commission President and Chief Executive Officer Mark R. Chassin, M.D. "We have much to celebrate this year. Nearly half of our accredited hospitals have attained or nearly attained the Top Performer distinction. This truly shows that we are approaching a tipping point in hospital quality performance that will directly contribute to better health outcomes for patients.