Archives of the Mayor's Press Office

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: Friday, November 12, 1999

Release #445-99

Contact: Sunny Mindel/Brenda Pérez (212) 788-2958
Jane Zimmerman, Ph.D. HHC (212) 788-3339


MAYOR GIULIANI CONGRATULATES HHC FOR RECEIVING TOP SCORES FROM JOINT COMMISSION ON THE ACCREDITATION OF HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS

NEW YORK, NY - Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani today announced that four acute care hospitals of the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) have received full three-year accreditation from the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). The hospitals surveyed -- from October 18 through November 12 -- were Bellevue, Harlem, North Central Bronx and Woodhull hospitals.

"I commend the staff at these HHC hospitals for their ongoing hard work, which has resulted in some of the highest ratings ever received from the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations," Mayor Giuliani said. "I also congratulate Dr. Luis Marcos, HHC's President, whose skillful leadership has made HHC an accountable, efficient and successful hospital system."

JCAHO conducts rigorous surveys of more than 5,000 hospitals nationwide. It evaluates 564 standards in several distinct areas, including assessment and care of patients, management of human resources, patients' rights and organization ethics, leadership, information management, infection control, organization performance, and environment. The four HHC hospitals surveyed uniformly demonstrated a high degree of excellence.

The following are the scores of the surveyed hospitals. These are preliminary scores that will be reviewed by JCAHO's central office staff in Chicago and finalized within 45 days. Final scores are generally the same or higher than the preliminary scores. For comparison purposes, the scores from the prior JCAHO survey are also included.

HHC Hospitals Scores 1999 Scores* 1996
Bellevue Hospital 93 85
Harlem Hospital 93 83
North Central Bronx Hospital 96 86
Woodhull Hospital 95 84

*According to JCAHO, the average national score in 1999 is 88.

"These high marks from JCAHO are one more indication of the excellent care that we provide to the 1.5 million New Yorkers -- including 400,000 uninsured men and women -- who rely on HHC hospitals for care," said Dr. Luis R. Marcos, President and Chief Executive Officer of HHC. "The survey's findings are especially meaningful in light of the significant reengineering that has taken place at the Corporation in recent years."

Dr. Rosa Gil, Chair of HHC's Board of Directors, said, "Like hospitals throughout the country, the Corporation has made many significant changes in order to remain competitive in a health care market that is being shaped by managed care."

These recently surveyed hospitals join other HHC facilities, all of which have received full three-year accreditation from JCAHO since 1994. This is in sharp contrast to the preceding years, when several HHC hospitals faced significant problems meeting accreditation standards.

The Health and Hospitals Corporation is comprised of 11 acute care hospitals, four long-term care facilities, six diagnostic and treatment centers, a certified home health program, and MetroPlus, a managed care health plan. The Corporation provides five million clinic visits, nearly one million emergency room visits and 235,000 hospital admissions, annually.

With annual revenues of $4.1 billion, for the first time in its 30-year history, HHC has finished the past four fiscal years with a positive bottom line, using generally accepted accounting principles.

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