ROGERS/ FORT SMITH, Ark. (KFSM) — Shorter hospital stays, fewer complications and better patient results are just a few metrics used to rank Mercy as one of the top five large health systems in the nation.
The 2019 IBM Watson Health 15 Top Health Systems study recognizes five large, five medium and five small systems from 337 health systems and 2,961 hospitals across the U.S.
This is the fourth consecutive year Mercy has been named a top five large health system nationally.
“We’re proud of the exceptional medical care Mercy provides in our communities and grateful to be part of a top-ranked, innovative health care system that still strives toward improvement every day,” said Ryan Gehrig, President of Mercy Hospital Fort Smith.
In March 2019, Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas in Rogers also was named one of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals by IBM Watson Health.
“Our hospitals focus on quality care continues to make a huge difference to the patients we serve, delivered in the spirit of the Sisters of Mercy who came before us,” said Eric Pianalto, President of Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas.
The study shows that Mercy outperformed peers in the following ways:
- Saved more lives and caused fewer patient complications
- Lower cost of care
- Readmitted patients less frequently
- Shorter wait times in emergency departments
- Shorter hospital stays
- Better patient safety
- Higher patient satisfaction
Mercy was among the first health care organizations in the U.S. to have an integrated electronic health record (EHR) connecting all points of care.
Mercy also has one of the largest medical groups in the nation with over 2,000 integrated physicians and bring primary care and specialty doctors together.
“We are honored once again to be ranked among the top hospital systems in the nation, and we applaud the efforts of our 45,000 co-workers who together provide quality care and ensure patient safety across Mercy,” said Lynn Britton, President and CEO of Mercy.