Saline Memorial Hospital home health unit named among top 25 percent

Saline Memorial Hospital's Home Health Department has been named to the 2007 list of HomeCare Elite by Outcome Concept Systems Inc. (OCS). The Seattle-based company prepares a list each year of the most successful Medicare-certified home health care providers in the United States.

Appearing on this list is no small feat. The annual review identifies the top 25 percent of organizations throughout the country ranked by performance measures in quality outcomes, quality improvement and financial performance. Only the best in these categories make the list.

"Our Home Health Department continues to gain ground in providing quality care and exceeds the national goals in many quality indicators such as reducing re-hospitalization, improvement of surgical wounds, and patient management of medications," said Lori Coleman, SMH Home Health manager.

"As we continue to focus our energy and efforts to improve quality in everything we do, this award for the SMH Home Health Department is a wonderful indication that our patients are the real winners," said Randy Fortner, SMH CEO/President. "They are receiving quality home care that allows them to recuperate safely at home from surgery or acute illness."

OCS is the market leader in healthcare information solutions. By collecting, evaluating and interpreting healthcare information, OCS empowers medical providers with datadriven insight that helps optimize mission-critical decision making.

As part of the department's mission, SMH Home Health must undergo periodic surveys to maintain its Medicare licensure which was originally obtained in 1982. The successful completion of its most recent survey took place in February 2008. The department is also in compliance with Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) Standards, successfully completing its ADH tri-annual survey, also in February, 2008.

For more information about Saline Memorial Hospital's Home Health Department, visit www.salinememorial.org or call the SMH Marketing and Public Relations Department at 501- 776-6764.