Independence Member Excela Health Named Among the Nation's Top Health Systems

Excela Health, a member of Independence Health System, has been identified as one of the nation’s 15 Top Health Systems™ according to an independent quality analysis based on a scorecard provided by PINC AI™, the technology and services brand of Premier, Inc. (NASDAQ: PINC), and reported by Fortune. Excela achieved top quartile status in several areas of the study, which is designed to spotlight organizational initiatives that produce the highest quality outcomes while demonstrating fiscal responsibility within large, medium and small sized health systems. The Top 15 list includes such national notables as the Mayo Clinic and Scripps Health. Independence’s Excela Health was the only health system in Pennsylvania to achieve this recognition. 

To create the list, PINC AI™ conducted an objective, quantitative analysis of publicly available data to identify the top health systems in the United States. This study featured data from various sources for the three-year period July 2018-June 2021, as well as trend data dating to 2016. 

The primary purpose of the PINC AI™ 15 Top Health Systems™ study is to inspire hospital and health system leaders to pursue higher performance and deliver added value to their patients and communities. The quantitative study is based on a balanced scorecard which consists of a variety of measurements distributed across four pillars: clinical, financial, operational and patient experience. 

In comparisons between the study winners and a peer group of similar health systems that were not winners, the analysis found that the winners of the 15 Top Health Systems™ program delivered better outcomes while operating more efficiently and at a lower cost. Compared to the peer group, the winners had: 

• 21 percent fewer mortalities. 
• 5 percent fewer patients with complications. 
• 21 percent fewer healthcare associated infections (HAIs). 
• 0.5-day shorter average length of stay. 

Better reported patient experience scores, with a top-box Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) score of 74 percent versus 69.6 percent for non-winning hospitals. 

“Health system leaders are continuously focused on quality, excellence and patient-centered care,” said Leigh Anderson, Premier’s Chief Operating Officer and the leader of PINC AI™. “A selection as one of the 15 Top Health Systems™ is a great honor and demonstrates the importance of health system leadership and proven strategies for improvement.” 

“System integration is not just a financial exercise,” said Ken DeFurio, President & CEO of Independence. “It is also about quality outcomes, performance improvement, and transfer of knowledge. All our hospitals and physician experts bring strengths that we will continue to integrate across the system. We are proud of Excela Health’s demonstrated performance, and we know that the excellent care at Independence Health System will continue to be recognized in the future.” 

Nationally recognized for quality care, Independence Health System comprises Butler Memorial, Clarion, Frick, Latrobe and Westmoreland Hospitals with a combined bed count of 925. With more than 1,000 physicians and advanced practice providers and 7,300 employees, the System is now the third largest in western Pennsylvania serving a population base of 750,000 in a footprint spanning more than 10 counties.

The System includes tertiary programs that are rated among America’s best for cardiac care and surgery by Healthgrades in its Top 100 designations. In similar fashion, the prestigious Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) bestowed its top three-star rating. Historically, less than 10 percent of programs within the STS data base achieve this elite standing. The hospitals of Independence Health System also have earned a host of accolades from such prestigious outlets and sources as US News and World Report, Newsweek Magazine, the American College of Radiology, the American College of Cardiology, the American College of Surgeons, the Joint Commission, Leapfrog and the American Heart/Stroke Association. 

Locally owned and locally controlled, Independence Health System offers its patients low-cost, high-quality care across the care spectrum in such specialties as cardiology, cardiovascular and thoracic surgery, orthopedics and sports medicine, minimally invasive and robotic surgery, women’s health and obstetrics, emergency medicine, behavioral health and primary care. Its network of outpatient centers sees more than 1.2 million visits annually. The homecare division further supports patients at all stages of life with home health and hospice services.

Independence Health System continues to change the healthcare landscape in western Pennsylvania by meeting patient needs through superb physician expertise, outstanding nursing, the latest in technology and programmatic depth.