John Muir Health is committed to providing quality health care for the community. The awards received each year by John Muir Health's hospitals, other entities and services reflect these ongoing efforts.

Health System Awards | Clinical Program Awards | Staff Awards | Awards Archive

Health System Awards

John Muir Medical Center - Concord and Walnut Creek Campus Receives American Heart Association's "Get With the Guidelines" Bronze Performance Achievement Award

2008 -- John Muir Medical Center - Concord and Walnut Creek Campuses have received the "Get with the Guidelines (GWTG)" Bronze Performance Achievement Award from the American Heart Association for coronary heart disease (CAD) and heart failure (HF). The award recognizes John Muir Health's commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of care for patients with coronary heart disease and heart failure.

To receive the bronze in both heart failure and coronary heart disease award, both campuses demonstrated for at least 90 days that more than 85 percent of its eligible coronary patients and heart failure patients (without contraindications) were discharged following the American Heart Association's recommended treatment guidelines (Table 1). The American Heart Association's GWTG-CAD and GWTG-HF programs help hospitals increase the use of and adherence to the association's guidelines for coronary artery disease and heart failure. Developed to assist healthcare professionals folow proven standards and procedures before patients are discharged, GWTG-CAD and GWTG-HF is helping John Muir Health improve patient outcomes.

"The American Heart Association applauds John Muir Health for its success in implementing the appropriate evidence-based care and protocols to reduce the number of recurrent events, disability and death in cardiovascular and heart failure patients," says Gregg C. Fonarow, M.D., National Chairman of the Get With The Guidelines Steering Committee and Director of Ahmanson-UCLA Cardiomyopathy Center. "John Muir Health has achieved a high level of performance in terms of implementing these life-prolonging treatments," he adds.

"John Muir Health is dedicated to making our hospitals among the best in the country by providing leading-edge care in a compassionate environment," says Margaret Simor, RN, MSN, CRN. "The American Heart Association's Get with the Guidelines program is helping us accomplish that by making it easier for our professionals to improve the long-term outcomes of our cardiac patients and prolonging the lives of those in heart failure. We are pleased to be recognized for our dedication and achievements in these areas." Our participation in Get with the Guidelines demonstrates our commitment to quality care. We are proud to be a part of the American Heart Association's efforts to turn guidelines into lifelines^SM.

John Muir Medical Center - Walnut Creek Campus Earns Magnet Recognition for
Nursing Excellence

2008 -- The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) has awarded its Magnet recognition status for excellence in nursing services and quality nursing care to John Muir Medical Center - Walnut Creek Campus. The Magnet Recognition Program^® recognizes health care organizations that demonstrate excellence in nursing practice and adherence to national standards for the organization and delivery of nursing services. The honor reflects that the nursing care program has been named one of the best in the nation.

John Muir Medical Center - Walnut Creek Campus is the only center in the East Bay to achieve Magnet recognition status. It is the 12th site to be recognized in California. Nationwide, fewer than 300 organizations have received this accolade. Currently, John Muir Medical Center - Concord Campus is also on the journey to nursing excellence.

To earn Magnet recognition, organizations undergo a rigorous evaluation that includes extensive interviews and review of nursing services. Research shows there are clear benefits to hospitals that are awarded Magnet status, and to the communities they serve:

• Health care consumers have more confidence in the overall quality of a hospital if it has achieved the level of excellence established by the Magnet Recognition Program.
• Magnet designated facilities consistently outperform other facilities in recruiting and retaining quality nurses, resulting in increased stability in patient care and patient satisfaction.
• Because quality nursing is one of the most important factors in enlisting high caliber physicians and specialists, Magnet status becomes an attractive force that extends to the entire organization.

Additional information about the American Nurses Credentialing Center and the Magnet Recognition Program is available online at the ANCC Web site.

HealthGrades Ranks John Muir Medical Centers Among Top Five Percent of U.S. Hospitals for Clinical Excellence

2007 -- In an independent study released today of clinical care at nearly 5,000 U.S. hospitals, John Muir Medical Center - Walnut Creek Campus and John Muir Medical Center - Concord Campus ranked among the top five percent of hospitals nationally for the second consecutive year.

The annual study of mortality and complication rates across 27 medical procedures and diagnoses is conducted by HealthGrades, the independent health care quality company that analyzes clinical outcomes, performance and quality at the nation's 4,971 non-federal hospitals. This year, only 296 hospitals achieved ranking in the top five percent.

In presenting the 2008 Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence™ to each of the medical centers, HealthGrades noted that patients admitted to hospitals receiving the award are, on average, 27 percent less likely to face mortality and 5 percent less likely to experience a major complication.

HealthGrades estimates that, if all patients at surveyed hospitals in 2004-2006 were treated at Distinguished Hospitals, 171,424 lives could have been saved and 9,671 post-operative complications could have been avoided.

"We're pleased to have the independent HealthGrades organization recognize the efforts of our exceptional hospital and medical staffs," says Roy Kaplan, M.D., medical director of quality and clinical effectiveness. "Clinical excellence is ingrained in the culture of John Muir Health. We're constantly pushing ourselves, even beyond the boundaries of national benchmarks. We strive for the ideal: optimal outcomes and safety for every patient."

Dawn Knight, vice president of quality and patient safety for John Muir Health, echoes this characterization. "The HealthGrades award is validation of the work we do every day. At John Muir Health, we expect nothing less than exceptional care. Benchmarks and national targets are great sources of comparison but they fall short of excellence. This means that, in our pursuit of quality, we're concerned with each and every patient, not just a majority."

For example, in 2007, when the Centers for Disease Control established a national benchmark for hospital-acquired pneumonia at 2.7 per 1,000 days for patients on ventilators, Knight says they targeted zero infections. In a report just released, the John Muir medical centers in Walnut Creek and Concord reported that, in 2007, ventilator-associated pneumonia rates were 0.2 and 0.3, respectively, per 1,000 ventilator days.

For more information www.healthgrades.com.

Readers of "J" Pick John Muir Medical Centers as Favorites

2007 -- The Concord and Walnut Creek campuses of John Muir Medical Center were rated as the favorite East Bay hospital winners in the August 2007 Readers' Choice Awards for "J" - the Jewish news weekly of Northern California. The award also references the Behavioral Health Center and John Muir Physician Network.

John Muir Medical Center - Concord and Walnut Creek Campuses Recognized for Implementing Quality Stroke Care

John Muir Medical Center's Concord and Walnut Creek campuses were recognized earlier this year by the American Stroke Association's "Get With the Guidelines" (GWTG) program for their performance achievement in stroke patient care. The Concord Campus is the recipient of the gold Sustained Achievement Award and the Walnut Creek Campus received the silver Annual Achievement Award. Both awards recognize John Muir Health's success in implementing a higher standard of stroke care by ensuring that stroke patients receive treatment according to nationally accepted standards and recommendations.

To receive the gold Sustained Achievement Award, the Concord Campus consistently complied for 24 consecutive months with the requirements in the GWTG - Stroke program. These include aggressive use of interventions like tPA (clot-busting medication), antithrombotic medications, anticoagulation therapy, DVT prophylaxis, cholesterol reducing drugs, and smoking cessation education. The Walnut Creek Campus received the silver Achievement Award for following the GWTG-Stroke program for 12 consecutive months. To achieve these recognition levels, hospitals must demonstrate 85 percent adherence in the GWTG-Stroke key measures.

"With a stroke, time lost is brain lost and these GWTG-Stroke achievement awards address the important element of time," says Raymond Stephens, M.D., medical director for the Stroke Center at the Concord Campus. "Both our Concord and Walnut Creek campuses are committed to providing excellent care. We are proud that both medical centers are being recognized for the quality of care we deliver to our stroke patients."

As Primary Stroke Centers certified by the Joint Commission, a national surveyor of quality patient care, John Muir Medical Center's Concord and Walnut Creek campuses and the first in Contra Costa and Alameda Counties, have an organized approach to assessing and treating patients who are having a stroke. Both campuses follow national standards and guidelines that can significantly improve outcomes for stroke patients. These include: rapid assessment of stroke symptoms, neurologists available for consultation 24-hours a day, use of state-of-the-art treatment options including intravenous tPA, designated stroke care units, participation in research protocols, professional stroke education, access to an inpatient rehabilitation unit and outpatient physical rehabilitation services.

Each year, about 700,000 people in the United States suffer a stroke - 500,000 are first attacks and 200,000 are recurrent. Of stroke survivors, 22 percent of men and 25 percent of women die within a year, and for those aged 65 and older, the percentage is even higher.

"The American Stroke Association commends John Muir Medical Center's Walnut Creek and Concord campuses for their success in implementing standards of care and protocols," says Lee H. Schwamm, M.D., national GWTG Steering Committee Member and director of acute stroke services at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. "The full implementation of acute care and secondary prevention recommendations and guidelines is a critical step in saving the lives and improving outcomes of stroke patients."

About John Muir Neurosciences Institute:
The John Muir Neurosciences Institute is one of the Bay Area's most advanced and comprehensive resources for neurosciences. The Institute offers the latest treatment options for stroke, brain injury, brain tumors, neurotrauma, dementia and spinal injury. The John Muir Neurosciences Institute's clinical specialists are experts who provide some of the most comprehensive neurologic diagnostic treatment available. Visit johnmuirhealth.com for additional details.

About the American Stroke Association:
The American Stroke Association offers a wide array of programs, products and services, from patient education materials to scientific statements with cutting-edge information for healthcare professionals. The organization, a division of the American Heart Association, is a committed leader in providing credible stroke information to individuals and healthcare providers. For more information about the American Stroke Association or its initiatives, visit StrokeAssociation.org or call 1-888-4-STROKE. For more information about Get With The Guidelines - Stroke, e-mail guidelinesinfo@heart.org or visit: www.strokeassociation.org/getwiththeguidelines.

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John Muir Medical Center - Walnut Creek Campus Named Consumer Choice Award Winner

2007 -- John Muir Medical Center - Walnut Creek Campus has been recognized as a top Consumer Choice Award winner for quality and image by the Oakland/East Bay community in a recent National Research Corporation (NRC) survey.

Each year NRC honors those hospitals whose consumers rate as having the best quality and image. Now, in its twelfth year, NRC surveyed more than 200,000 households across the country to determine the nation's top hospitals. The Walnut Creek Campus, one of 225 award recipients, was selected by the East Bay community alongside another facility as having exceptional service and care.

Survey respondents were extensively polled on their opinions about local hospital/facilities and care. Among the questions asked: which local hospital has the best doctors, best nurses and best overall quality and image.

11 Gold Seals of Approval™ for John Muir Health

2007 -- John Muir Health received 11 Gold Seals of Approval™ in 2007 from The Joint Commission, the nation's oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care. Nearly 15,000 health care organizations and programs in the United State are evaluated and accredited by the Joint Commission.

"We view obtaining Joint Commission accreditation as another step toward achieving excellence," says J. Kendall Anderson, president and CEO, John Muir Health. "The 11 Gold Seals are a validation of our commitment to continuous quality improvement and delivering safe, high quality care."

"Above all, the national standards are intended to stimulate continuous, systematic and organization-wide improvement in an organization's performance and the outcomes of care," says Darlene Christiansen, executive director, Hospital Accreditation Program, The Joint Commission. "The accreditation award recognizes John Muir Health's dedication to complying with The Joint Commission's state-of-the-art standards on a continuous basis."

Gold Seals were received by John Muir Medical Centers – Concord and Walnut Creek Campuses; the John Muir Walnut Creek ambulatory care services; John Muir Behavioral Health Center; John Muir Home Health Services; John Muir Medical Centers- Concord and Walnut Creek Campuses' Laboratory Services. John Muir Health also received Gold Seal certifications for disease-specific health care in the areas of Stroke, Diabetes and Wound Care.

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John Muir Medical Center Named One of "America's Best Hospitals"

2007 -- WALNUT CREEK, CA - John Muir Medical Center has been named one of "America's Best Hospitals 2007" by U.S.News & World Report for Orthopedics and Digestive Disorders. This year, 5,462 medical centers were evaluated; John Muir Medical Center's Walnut Creek Campus was among 173 hospitals nationwide to receive the "Best Hospitals" distinction.

According to U.S. News, the rankings were developed and the specialties chosen explicitly to help consumers determine which hospitals provide the best care for the most serious and complicated medical conditions and procedures - not for those that are relatively commonplace.

With the Bay Area's largest and most comprehensive orthopedic program, John Muir Health is committed to providing the latest technology and innovative treatment options from minimally invasive techniques for total hip and knee replacement to advanced traumatic reconstruction. With board certified, specialty trained orthopedic surgeons on staff who specialize in such areas as total joint, spine, hands, trauma and sports medicine, John Muir Health is recognized for its advanced approach to orthopedic medicine. John Muir Health is also ranked number one in Northern California by the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (2005 data) for the volume of orthopedic surgeries performed at its medical centers each year, and is pursuing the development of a freestanding orthopedic hospital to further provide highly-specialized, dedicated orthopedic care to the community.

John Muir Health is also a regional leader in the diagnosing and treatment of both malignant and benign digestive disorders. Technologically-advanced treatments such as minimally invasive colorectal surgery, liver resections, small and large bowel procedures, stomach, esophageal, pancreatic, duodenal and other digestive system procedures are all performed. John Muir Health has an array of highly-trained specialists such as gastroenterologists, surgeons and other healthcare professionals committed to delivering innovative and compassionate care.

"This recognition further highlights our commitment to our patients and the community," says J. Kendall Anderson, President and CEO for John Muir Health. "We believe in our talented, skilled and dedicated physicians and staff, to provide the finest care available. This is indeed an achievement that we can all be proud of."

For further information on the recognition from U.S. News, visit www.usnews.com.

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John Muir Medical Center, Walnut Creek Campus has received a 2006 - 2007 Consumer Choice Award from the National Research Corporation (NRC).

The Consumer Choice Award identifies hospitals in 180 markets throughout the United States that healthcare consumers have chosen as having the highest quality and image. This is the second year that this campus has been the sole recipient of the award in the Oakland region. Winners are determined by consumer perceptions on multiple quality and image ratings collected in the annual NRC Healthcare Marketing Guide (R) study. Of the 3,000 hospitals named by consumers in the study, the winning facilities rank highest in their Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA's), as defined by the United States Census Bureau.

John Muir Medical Center - Concord Campus Receives Emergency Department Team of the Year Award

2007 -- The physicians and staff of the Emergency Department (ED) at John Muir Medical Center - Concord Campus displayed exceptional commitment to delivering the very best in emergency medical care and their collected efforts earned the ED a 2006 Emergency Department Team of the Year Award from CEP America, the national partnership practice model of the California Emergency Physicians (CEP) Medical Group.

In patient satisfaction, the Concord Campus ED continues to maintain top marks on the CEP survey tool on which they rank 2nd in their volume group and 9th out of all CEP-staffed sites. On the Press Ganey patient satisfaction surveys, the ED ranked in the 98th percentile for overall rating of ED care. In addition, the ED physicians ranked at the 97th percentile and ED nurses ranked at the 91st percentile among their peer group on the Press Ganey survey.

The ED, a CEP-staffed site since 2003, embarked on many successful initiatives and improvements throughout 2006 such as an increased number of patient call backs, immediate bedding and bedside registration as well as the creation of an ED and a hospital wide patient flow committee to help alleviate overcrowding as ell as maintaining an average time to see a physician of 35 minutes.

John Muir Medical Center - Walnut Creek Campus Receives HHS Organ Donation Medal of Honor

2007 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) awarded an Organ Donation Medal of Honor to John Muir Medical Center - Walnut Creek Campus. The Walnut Creek Campus was among 18 hospitals in Northern California to earn the award.

Dean Charkow, R.N., CCRN, manager, Critical Care Services, and Kim Pickard, R.N., ICU/NSICU, on the Walnut Creek campus, and Julie Gabbard, our hospital liaison from the California Transplant Donor Network, received the award on behalf of the Walnut Creek Campus staff for their efforts to save and improve lives by facilitating organ and tissue donation for transplantation.

Medal of Honor winners were recognized on October 19, 2006, at a dinner that was the capstone of the second annual Organ Donation Breakthrough Collaborative National Learning Congress in New Orleans, LA.

To be eligible for the Medal of Honor, hospitals must have at least eight eligible donors in a single, continuous 12-month period and have at least 75 percent of those patients who might become organ donors become actual donors. In 2006, the Walnut Creek Campus had 29 eligible organ donors with a donation rate of 75 percent. Because of the dedicated efforts of the hospital staff and the generosity of John Muir Medical Center organ donor families, 85 lifesaving transplants occurred in 2006. John Muir Medical Center - Walnut Creek Campus has met the national conversion rate for two consecutive years.

The hospitals and organ procurement organizations receiving this award are being honored for their exemplary leadership and commitment to organ donors, donor families, and over 93,000 patients on the national transplant waiting list. They also are being honored for the effective relationships they have developed with each other that have generated these life-saving results.

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John Muir Medical Center, Walnut Creek Campus Receives Organ Donation Medal of Honor

2007 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has awarded an Organ Donation Medal of Honor to John Muir Medical Center, Walnut Creek Campus. The Walnut Creek Campus was among 18 hospitals in Northern California to earn the award.

Medal of Honor winners will be recognized on October 19, 2006, at a formal dinner that will be the capstone of the second annual Organ Donation Breakthrough Collaborative National Learning Congress in New Orleans, LA. Dean Charkow, R.N., CCRN, manager, Critical Care Services and Kim Pickard, R.N., ICU/NSICU, on the Walnut Creek campus, and Julie Gabbard, our hospital liaison from the California Transplant Donor Network, will be receiving the award on behalf of the Walnut Creek Campus staff for their efforts to save and improve lives by facilitating organ and tissue donation for transplantation.

To be eligible for the Medal of Honor, hospitals must have at least 8 eligible donors in a single, continuous 12-month period and have at least 75 percent of those patients who might become organ donors become actual donors. In 2005, the Walnut Creek Campus had 26 organ donors with a donation rate of 78 percent. Because of the dedicated efforts of the hospital staff and the generosity of John Muir Medical Center organ donor families, 115 life saving transplants occurred in 2005 and 62 to date in 2006.

The hospitals and organ procurement organizations receiving this award are being honored for their exemplary leadership and commitment to organ donors, donor families, and over 93,000 patients on the national transplant waiting list. They also are being honored for the effective relationships they have developed with each other that have generated these life-saving results.

Fast Facts about Organ Donation

• More than 93,000 people in the United States are waiting for organ transplants to save their lives - 2,300 of those waiting are children under the age of 18. Currently, almost 9600 of these men, women and children are in the Transplant Network's Northern and Central California service area.
• Each day, 18 people - one every 90 minutes - die in the United States because of a shortage of organ donors. In 2004, more than 6,000 individuals died on the U.S. organ-transplant waiting list because the organs they needed were not donated in time.
• One person can potentially save up to eight lives as an organ donor, and improve the lives of more than 50 others through tissue donation. To become a donor, go to donateLIFEcalifornia.org. At this website one can both officially record their wish to be a donor and notify their family.

John Muir Physician Network receives top ratings from NCQA's Pay for Performance Survey

2007 -- A recent survey conducted by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), a national organization focusing on measuring quality to improve health care, rating medical groups in California on a multiple clinical and related health care measures, reveal outstanding results for John Muir Physician Network (the Physician Network) across many measure.

Survey highlights include:

• Patient Satisfaction
  The Physician Network scored in the top 10% of medical groups statewide. This measure asks the patient to rate their overall healthcare they experienced with our physicians. This score is the best the Physician Network has ever achieved in this area.
• Diabetes Care for Control of LDL (low density lipids)
  The Physician Network is ranked number one in the State for the control of LDL levels in their patients.
• Heart Disease Care and Breast Cancer Screening
  The Physician Network also ranked among the best medical groups in the State.

For more information about this survey and the National Committee for Quality Assurance, click here: www.ncqa.org.

To learn more information about Quality initiatives at John Muir Health, click here.

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