HOUSTON, Oct. 24, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center (TMC) today announced that it has won the prestigious 2014 UHC Quality Leadership Award.  The annual award is given to academic medical center members that have demonstrated excellence in delivering high-quality patient care, as measured by the UHC Quality and Accountability Study.

In 2005, UHC launched the study to define attributes associated with high performance in both quality and safety. The study ultimately identified the following five attributes of high-performing organizations: a shared sense of purpose, leadership style, an accountability system, a focus on results and a culture of collaboration. To determine the Quality Leadership Award winners, UHC completes an extensive, unique evaluation process that ranks member organizations' performance in six key domains: patient mortality, effectiveness, safety, equity, patient centeredness, and efficiency.

This year the award methodology was refined with enhanced measures related to the safety domain, including hospital-acquired infections from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Healthcare Safety Network and new metrics on venous thromboembolism based on The Joint Commission's National Quality Core Measures.

Award recipients were announced last night at the 2014 UHC Annual Conference in Las Vegas.  Memorial Hermann-TMC was one of only 12 member hospitals across the country chosen as a 2014 UHC Quality Leadership Award winner.

"UHC commends these academic medical centers for their strong commitment to providing high-quality patient care throughout their clinical enterprises," said Irene M. Thompson, UHC's president and chief executive officer in a statement.

Craig Cordola, CEO of Memorial Hermann-TMC was quick to give credit to hospital staff.  "This is one of the most prestigious awards in the industry, and I am thrilled that Memorial Hermann-TMC is included on this year's list of top-performing academic medical centers in the country," he said.  "Because our Campus is built on a long-term affiliation with The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) Medical School, along with our dedicated private physician partners, we are able to bring together a world-class team of clinicians, researchers and educators under one roof. I want to personally thank all of the members of that hardworking and talented team for helping us achieve this incredible honor."

About Memorial Hermann–Texas Medical Center (TMC)
Founded in 1925, Memorial Hermann was the first hospital to open in the world-renowned Texas Medical Center in Houston. For more than a century, the hospital has set new standards of care in Texas and across the nation. Built on a long-term affiliation with The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Memorial Hermann–TMC and Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital bring together a world-class team of clinicians, researchers and educators under one roof.  The 865-bed Campus provides exceptional care in the areas of trauma, heart, neuroscience, orthopedics, women's health, general surgery, organ transplantation, oncology and more.  As a certified Level I trauma center at Memorial Hermann-TMC and Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital, Memorial Hermann is home to the Texas Trauma Institute and provides 24-hour emergency and trauma care.  In 1976, the hospital established Memorial Hermann Life Flight® – the first air ambulance service in Texas – which currently performs more than 3,000 annual missions with a fleet of six state-of-the-art helicopters.  Memorial Hermann – TMC encompasses three renowned institutes including the Mischer Neuroscience Institute, the Heart & Vascular Institute and the Ironman Sports Medicine Institute – all offering the latest innovations, technology and treatment. Learn more about Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center.

About University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC)
UHC is an alliance of the nation's leading nonprofit academic medical centers, which are focused on delivering world-class patient care. Formed in 1984 and based in Chicago, UHC fosters collaboration with and among its 117 academic medical center and 310 affiliated hospital members through its renowned programs and services in the areas of comparative data and analytics, performance improvement, supply chain management, strategic research, and public policy. UHC helps its members achieve excellence in quality, safety, and cost-effectiveness. For more information, visit uhc.edu.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Kathryn Klein 713-704-5577
kathryn.klein@memorialhermann.org

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SOURCE Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center