From the July 2017 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine

“We believe it is important to continue to lead the effort to make information regarding a health care facility’s compliance with health and safety requirements” publicly available, CMS officials wrote in a public statement.

Not all is doom and gloom. Some hospitals are doing just fine with both government and private inspection results. After initial problems at Detroit Medical Center (DMC), CMS performed a surprise inspection along with the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs and reported DMC was in full compliance. Passing the surprise inspection assured DMC of remaining in the Medicare program which provides millions in federal and state funds. The hospital system took corrective action and passed with flying colors. CMS is an important aspect of financial survival and many hospitals are doing just fine.


CMS hopes the proposed rules will resolve the inconsistency of some inspections being made public while others are not. The American Hospital Association is straddling the fence on keeping its hospital members happy as well as CMS and you can understand why. Hospitals need the AHA political efforts and guidance plus the CMS payments. The AHA mentioned that releasing the reporting data can be difficult for consumers to read and that they may benefit from summaries rather than clinical details.

There are a few hospitals that are using a different marketing approach, attempting to promote outcomes that differentiate them from other hospitals. The marketing approach might satisfy the public’s need for reviewing publicly released hospital information by driving the importance of specialized staff. Radio ads touting Mount Sinai’s skills vs. a fictitious competitor tell a story of a negative outcome vs. a positive outcome at Mount Sinai. The comparison stories are powerful and effective at positioning Mount Sinai in a prospective patient’s mind when making a critical hospital choice. Health systems may end up turning to marketing specialists to create a public image rather than letting the government control the message.

Along with The Affordable Care Act and whatever new health care legislation develops, quality improvement will be the focus and transparency will follow. Payers such as the government and private health care insurers want efficiency as well as improved outcomes. Health care associated infections (HAIs) will always be part of the main focus due to two important factors: HAIs are mostly preventable; and there is a potential savings of $30 billion a year.

July 2017 Magazine

Read more stories from the July 2017 issue

More Infection Control Corner

Infection Control Homepage