Tift Regional Health System has recently been recognized for demonstrating improvements in various quality measures at Cook Senior Living Center, Tift Regional Dialysis, and Tift Regional Medical Center.

Cook Senior Living Center, a service of Cook Medical Center in Adel, is a 95-bed skilled nursing facility. The facility recently received a deficiency free survey by the state of Georgia. This is an acknowledgement by the state recognizing the facility’s quality outcomes. At regular intervals, the state conducts a survey that evaluates all aspects of service and care provided by licensed skilled nursing facilities. 

“Receiving a deficiency free survey requires strong leadership, good communication with our residents, and dedication from the staff as the survey process is very rigorous and thorough,” stated Melanie Covington, Director of Nursing for CSLC. “We are proud to have received what is considered to be the best possible score on our evaluation. Our staff has worked extremely hard to maintain high standards and provide quality care and services to our residents.”

The Tift Regional Dialysis Clinic was also recently surveyed by the state of Georgia, and no conditional findings were noted in their survey. The state of Georgia regulates dialysis clinics based on several factors including infection control and ensuring the clinic adheres to all Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services guidelines. 

“I appreciate the hard work that our staff demonstrates on a daily basis to ensure we continue to meet CMS guidelines. Meeting those guidelines not only allows us to receive positive survey results, but it also validates that we provide excellent and safe care to our patients,” said Patricia Reese, Director of Tift Regional Dialysis. 

In addition, TRMC has received preliminary notice from CMS that the hospital has not received a penalty for hospital-acquired conditions in payment year 2019. 

According to CMS, in October 2014, CMS began reducing Medicare payments for hospitals that rank in the worst-performing quartile of hospitals with respect to HACs. The worst-performing quartile is identified by calculating a Total HAC Score based on hospitals’ performance on six quality measures: the CMS Recalibrated Patient Safety Indicators (PSI) 90, Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infection (CLABSI), Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection (CAUTI), Surgical Site Infection (SSI), MRSA bacteremia, and Clostridium difficile Infection (CDI) measures. Hospitals with a Total HAC Score greater than the 75th percentile of the Total HAC Score distribution will be subject to a payment reduction. 

“Every year, up to this one, Tift Regional has been subject to the 1% payment reduction.  Our scores have been steadily improving each year, and we are proud to announce that we have not received the penalty this year,” says Mindy McStott, Vice President Quality for Tift Regional Health System. “Our staff members work hard to foster a safe, compassionate environment of care.  This demonstrates achievement in preventing harm within the hospital, and we are proud of our clinicians and support staff.”