Quality and Patient Safety

Ellis is ranked among the top 10% of hospitals nationwide for cardiac surgery in 2010 by HealthGrades, a leading, independent health care ratings agency. Additionally, Ellis has received the Silver Award for heart failure care by the American Heart Association. Ellis is recognized for its success in using the Get with the Guidelines program for improving quality of care and patient outcomes.

Ellis is also a designated Center of Excellence by the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

Ellis has received the Stroke Gold Plus Achievement Award in 2010 from the American Stroke Association (ASA), This award recognizes Ellis for its success in using the Get with the Guidelines quality improvement program, and for achieving the ASA's Gold Award two or more consecutive years (Ellis received the Gold Award in 2009, 2008 and 2007). Ellis was the first hospital in New York State, and among 12 in the nation, to be honored with a Gold Award in 2007.

Ellis was the only hospital in New York State to be ranked among the top 5% of hospitals nationwide for both patient safety and clinical excellence in 2009 by HealthGrades, a leading national health care ratings company.

Measures of Quality

Ellis performance is measured in a number of ways, including tracking clinical care and patient outcomes, as well as patient satisfaction. Ellis participates in quality initiatives with several regulatory and ratings agencies, such as the New York State Department of Health, the Joint Commission, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the Institute of Health Care Improvement and Press Ganey.

Ellis adopts and follows an annual Performance Improvement Plan, and the Quality Department works daily with doctors and nurses to address areas of concerns and enhance quality of care.

Click on the links below to see how Ellis is performing in these areas:

Performance Reports

• Cardiovascular Disease
• Pneumonia
• Surgical Care Improvement
• Mortality (death rate)
• Cesarean Births
• Patient Satisfaction

A Complete Picture of Quality

Many factors should be taken into account when choosing a hospital: accreditation by a nationally recognized accrediting agency, such as The Joint Commission; the reputation, experience and qualifications of physicians; and the range of services provided are just some of the criteria that should be considered. In addition to reviewing hospital report cards, you should also talk with friends and neighbors about their experiences, and consult with your physician in order to make a well-informed decision that you can be comfortable with.

If you have any questions about Ellis quality of care or about a score Ellis received on a hospital report care, please contact Ellis Quality Services Department at 518.243.4196.

For more information about Ellis quality performance, you can go online to:
www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov (CMS Hospital Compare report)
www.hospitals.nyhealth.gov (NYS Hospital Profile)
www.qualitycheck.org (The Joint Commissions Quality Check report)