HCHD Receives Texas Health Care Quality Improvement Award

HOUSTON (July 30, 2009) –  The Harris County Hospital District received the Texas Health Care Quality Improvement Award and was honored August 27 in Austin at a ceremony recognizing hospitals that have improved performance on national quality measures.

“We are honored to receive this award,” said David S. Lopez, president and CEO, Harris County Hospital District. “Improving quality of care for our patients has always been a priority and we will continue to strive to maintain a level of excellence.” 

The awards acknowledge hospitals for improving care related to acute myocardial infarction (heart attack), heart failure, pneumonia and surgical care. These clinical areas have been designated as national healthcare priorities by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and The Joint Commission, the nation’s accrediting body in healthcare. 

The Texas Health Care Quality Improvement Awards honor Texas hospitals that have improved performance on specific national measures based on a composite scoring system, the Appropriate Care Measure. To qualify for the award, a hospital must attain a minimum of 80 percent of the Appropriate Care Measure and meet all of the requirements.

The Harris County Hospital District is the public healthcare system for the nation’s third most-populous county. It provides more than one million healthcare visits each year to residents of Harris County. The hospital district operates Ben Taub General Hospital, Lyndon B. Johnson General Hospital, Quentin Mease Community Hospital, 13 community health centers, a dialysis center, a dental center, eight school-based clinics, 13 homeless shelter clinics and five mobile health units.