Novi, MI, December 11^th, 2015 – The Economic Alliance for Michigan (EAM) is concerned over the number of Michigan hospitals being penalized for hospital acquired conditions by the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).  CMS released the data on Thursday, December 10th, identifying hospitals who nationally ranked in the bottom quartile for hospital acquired conditions/infections.  These conditions include ulcers, bloodstream infections, surgical site infections and urinary-tract infections.  Twenty-four Michigan hospitals fell into this quartile.

As part of the Affordable Care Act, the law requires the lowest ranking one-quarter of hospitals in the country to be penalized.  These hospitals will see their Medicare payments reduced by 1% in 2016.

The goal of the program is to hold hospitals accountable for hospital acquired infections and to shift hospitals into a thought process of giving higher quality and care performance, rather than higher volume of services.

“When a patient acquires a new infection while in the hospital, it costs taxpayers, patients and employers more money,” said Bret Jackson, president of the EAM.  “We encourage patients and caregivers to research which hospital is safest for them.  Another great source for this is the Hospital Safety Score.”

The Hospital Safety Score is released twice a year by The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit organization driving a movement for giant leaps forward in the quality and safety of American health care.  Learn more about which hospitals are safest in your area at http://www.hospitalsafetyscore.org/.

The 24 Michigan hospitals in the bottom quartile nationally are: