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Duke University Health System received nearly $210,000 from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in a project that rewards hospitals for high quality inpatient care.

Duke University Hospital was named a top performer in two clinical areas and received six monetary awards totaling $120,088, Duke Raleigh was named a top improver in three clinical areas and received seven monetary awards totaling $62,433, while Durham Regional Hospital received four attainment awards totaling $26,833.

"Duke's ongoing commitment to quality and safety excellence is at the core of our central promise to patients to provide the very best in health care services," says William J. Fulkerson, Jr, MD, executive vice president of Duke University Health System. “Succeeding in a project like this is also an important learning opportunity for us as value-based purchasing programs will be an important future component of the Affordable Care Act.”

The project, called the Hospital Quality Incentive Demonstration, was started six years ago by Premier health care alliance and the CMS to reward hospitals that are effective at improving the quality of inpatient care.

Approximately 225 hospitals across 36 states voluntarily provided data to Premier which tracks performance and measures improvement in six clinical areas: heart attack, coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), heart failure, pneumonia, hip and knee replacements, and surgical care.

More than 30 nationally defined, standardized, risk-adjusted measures representing process of care and patient outcomes are tracked to evaluate whether the care provided consistently meets or exceeds accepted evidence-based practice standards. Examples of the measures include the proper administering of aspirin, beta blockers and antibiotics, and readmission and mortality rates.

Duke University Health System received the following awards:

• Duke University Hospital received top performer awards, which were given to the top 20 percent of hospitals, in heart attack care and hip and knee replacement and attainment awards, which signify attaining or exceeding the median level composite quality score, in heart failure, pneumonia and surgical care.
• Duke Raleigh Hospital received top improver and attainment awards in heart attack, heart failure and surgical care, and an attainment award in pneumonia care. Top improver awards were given to the top 20 percent of hospitals with the largest percentage quality improvements.
• Durham Regional Hospital received attainment awards in heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia, and surgical care.