Nine hospitals in the region share $16.6 million in awards
Thirty-one Upstate New York hospitals and health centers earned a combined $28 million in quality improvement payments from Excellus BlueCross BlueShield last year as part of the nonprofit health insurer’s Hospital Performance Incentive Program. Since 2005, Excellus BCBS has paid out more than $400 million in quality improvement incentives.
“It’s part of our mission to ensure that all in our communities have equitable access to high quality health care,” said Melissa Gardner, executive vice president, chief population health engagement officer at Excellus BCBS. “The foundation for achieving that is a collaborative relationship with our local hospital and physician partners.”
Nine hospitals in the Rochester region participated in this program in 2022, sharing $16.6 million in quality improvement incentive payments. Participating hospitals were Clifton Springs Hospital & Clinic, Highland Hospital, Newark-Wayne Community Hospital, Noyes Memorial Hospital, Rochester General Hospital, Strong Memorial Hospital, Thompson Health, United Memorial Medical Center and Unity Hospital.
“In 2022, Excellus BCBS’s Hospital Performance Incentive Program evaluated participating hospitals on projects that are in alignment with and responsive to the ever-changing health care environment,” says physician Lisa Y. Harris, senior vice president and chief medical officer at Excellus BCBS. Participating hospitals and health centers met goals in the following areas: clinical processes of care, patient safety and patient satisfaction
In addition to meeting required clinical and patient safety measures in 2022, other nationally endorsed measures and target outcomes were jointly agreed upon by each hospital and the health insurer using benchmarks established by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, and others.