VCU Health System (VCUHS) supports easy access for healthcare consumers to current hospital information. Our commitment is to accurately report about the safety, quality and level of patient satisfaction related to the care we provide in our hospitals and clinics. This Web site provides access to online resources and explanations about the data that is provided. We hope this information is helpful in your evaluation of healthcare services. We welcome your feedback and suggestions on ways we can improve this site.
Benefits and limitations of hospital “report cards”
As healthcare providers, educators and advocates for safe, quality care we think this type of transparent reporting is essential to our community. Therefore, we are:
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Helping develop better performance measures, and reporting processes and methods.
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Educating patients and families about the data and how to interpret the results.
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Establishing standards and improving processes at VCUHS to avoid releasing misleading information.
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Setting an example by voluntarily providing appropriate organizations and agencies VCUHS data that meets established criteria.
As you review VCUHS data, as well as data about other hospitals and health systems, it is important to understand there are benefits and limitations to the information currently available on a growing number of Web sites.
Comparing apples to apples. Hospitals are different. They may have different:
Comparing the most current data. Always check for the date of the report. Some data is two or three years old, which means a lot could have changed since the data was reported. This doesn’t mean the data is wrong; it just means that you might want to consider other factors as well.
Severity of patients. We believe the severity of the patients at each location is one of the most important factors affecting the data. In the case of VCUHS, doctors from throughout Virginia refer patients to VCUHS when a local hospital is not able to provide the necessary care. Sometimes we care for patients who require a specific procedure, but also have several other serious medical conditions. In 2005 over 30% of VCUHS's patients came from outside the Richmond-Petersburg area. In fact, patients came to VCUHS from as far away as Oklahoma and New York, and from almost a half dozen other countries. Because VCUHS is the only Level 1 trauma center in Central Virginia, VCUHS accepts many patients who are critically ill or injured who cannot be treated at any other hospital. VCUHS only transfers patients who no longer require its unique services and can be safely transferred to a hospital that is closer to their homes and can continue their care.