The Joint Commission has Recognized EJGH as a 2017 Pioneer in Quality

The Joint Commission has recognized East Jefferson General Hospital (EJGH) as a 2017 Pioneers in Quality™ Data Contributor for its contributions to electronic clinical quality measure (eCQM) data for quality improvement in health care.

Until recently, most hospitals collected information to measure health care quality by manually abstracting data from patient records. Today, through eCQMs—which rely on structured, encoded data present in the electronic health record—hospitals can electronically collect and transmit data on the quality of care that patients receive. The electronic data can be analyzed to measure and improve care processes, performance, and outcomes.

The Joint Commission, the United States’ leading accreditor of health care organizations, established the Pioneers in Quality™ program to assist and recognize hospitals that report eCQM data, as well as share best practices for all hospitals in gathering, analyzing, and leveraging eCQM data for quality improvement.

Of more than 3,200 Joint Commission-accredited hospitals that reported 2016 data, only 480 have been named 2017 Pioneers in Quality™ hospitals by meeting criteria in one or more of the following categories:

• Data Contributor: A hospital that voluntarily submitted 2016 electronic clinical quality measure (eCQM) data to The Joint Commission for measurement toward quality improvement.
• Expert Contributor: One of nine hospitals recognized by The Joint Commission for contributing eCQM knowledge and utilization practices for sharing with other accredited hospitals.
• Solution Contributor: One of 11 hospitals that submitted a practice selected for inclusion in The Joint Commission’s “Proven Practices Collection,” a peer-to-peer resource for other accredited hospitals on proven eCQM and health IT practices.

“We are thrilled to be recognized by The Joint Commission,” said Gerald Parton, EJGH President, and CEO. “It reflects on our staff’s commitment to continuous quality improvement, especially as it relates to the adoption of electronic clinical quality measures—the evolution and future of health care data reporting. Like The Joint Commission, we believe gathering and analyzing performance data is crucial to continuously improve quality of care and outcomes for all patients.”

“We commend East Jefferson as a 2017 Pioneer in Quality™ organization for its contributions and commitment to electronic clinical quality measure data and practice toward quality improvement,” said David W. Baker, MD, MPH, FACP, executive vice president, Division of Health Care Quality Evaluation, The Joint Commission. “Out of 3,200 health care organizations, East Jefferson is among only 480 that The Joint Commission has recognized this year for embracing new technology to submit data about the care it provides to patients. That work to voluntarily share information helps the entire industry move forward in utilizing electronic clinical quality measurement for health care improvement.”

Pioneers in Quality™ recognition is not an indicator or measure of data quality or quality of care, but an indicator of an organization’s commitment to adopting eCQMs toward quality improvement. It recognizes eCQM data reporting and other contributions that advance eCQM adoption in health care. For more information about The Joint Commission and the Pioneers in Quality™ program, visit www.jointcommission.org.