Providence St. Vincent Medical Center was recognized by the Leapfrog Group as a "Highest Value Hospital" in 2008. But it was its pursuit of quality and accessibility, not efficiency, which appears to have been the driving force behind its success. The designation can be traced to three notable initiatives: its Safe Patient Access Capacity Enhancement (SPACE) project, the simplification of surgical orders, and the use of staff councils to address safety concerns.
This study was based on publicly available information and self-reported data provided by the case study institution(s). The aim of Commonwealth Fund–sponsored case studies of this type is to identify institutions that have achieved results indicating high performance in a particular area of interest, have undertaken innovations designed to reach higher performance, or exemplify attributes that can foster high performance. The studies are intended to enable other institutions to draw lessons from the studied institutions' experience that will be helpful in their own efforts to become high performers. Even the best-performing organizations may fall short in some areas or make mistakes—emphasizing the need for systematic approaches to improve quality and prevent harm to patients and staff. The Commonwealth Fund is not an accreditor of health care organizations or systems, and the inclusion of an institution in the Fund's case study series is not an endorsement by the Fund for receipt of health care from the institution.
