Minnesota’s National Health Care Quality Ranking 2007

Published Thursday, April 3, 2008 12:00 pm
by Deb McKinley

Stratis Health has reviewed the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) 2007 State Snapshots released on March 26, 2008, with information on the quality of health care in our state and nationally.

Minnesota ranks first in the nation for overall quality of health care, based on the 15 measures used by AHRQ. The state ranks above the national average in 10 out of the 12 dashboard meters. We are proud of the results we have achieved and of the collaborative spirit in the Minnesota health care community.

This information underscores the diligent work of health care providers and many quality improvement advocates in Minnesota and across the country, including Medicare Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs) like Stratis Health.

The overall health care score of 66.96% indicates opportunity for ongoing improvement and we encourage providers to continue to leverage Stratis Health and other quality improvement resources to further health care quality in the state.

In Minnesota, our settings of care have worked hard to improve health care quality.

• Minnesota hospitals are ranked "strong," and are in the top 25% of all hospitals nationwide. In aggregate, they improved in 17 of the 34 quality measures.
• The physician office setting (ambulatory care) in Minnesota ranks as a leader nationally, collectively ranking second (after Vermont). Clinics in Minnesota rank even stronger this year than last year.
• In Minnesota nursing homes, we improved on the nine of the 19 quality indicators included in the report. Moving from average to strong, our facilities rank in the top 25% of homes nationally.
• For Minnesota home health agencies, the quality indicators show opportunity for improvement, and agencies are working hard to find ways to improve. Of the 10 quality measures displayed on AHRQ’s Snapshot, Minnesota’s home health agencies collectively have improved or stayed the same on eight of them.

More Information

The National Healthcare Quality Report provides summary information about health care quality, encompassing and going beyond the work of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid and the QIOs. Minnesota’s performance is summarized in a series of "dials," similar to a speedometer on a car, which indicates our position in relation to all other states.