HHS Secretary Sebelius Highlights Michigan's MHA Keystone Center in Inaugural Health...

HHS Secretary Sebelius Highlights Michigan's MHA Keystone Center in Inaugural
Health Care 'Success Story' Report
Michigan hospitals' voluntary patient safety and quality efforts appear as
primary national example

LANSING, Mich., July 13 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. Department of Health & Human
Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today released the first in a
series of health care "success story" reports that document innovative
programs and initiatives that can serve as models for American health care
reform. The inaugural report highlights the Michigan Health & Hospital
Association (MHA) Keystone Center for Patient Safety & Quality Intensive Care
Unit (MHA Keystone: ICU) project that -- through voluntary efforts of Michigan
hospitals -- helped dramatically reduce the number of health care-associated
infections in Michigan ICUs, saving more than 1,500 lives and $200 million
over 18 months.

"We know there are tremendous examples of efficient, high-quality health care
in America today. Our challenge is spreading these good examples across the
country," said Sebelius. "Our reports will showcase success stories like the
Michigan Keystone ICU Project and highlight how health reform can improve the
quality of care for all Americans."

"When we enact health reform, we can improve quality, help control costs and
ensure success stories like the Michigan Keystone ICU Project become the rule,
not the exception," added Sebelius.

The press release in its entirety can be found at: http://www.hhs.gov/news.

"The Michigan hospitals that participate in the MHA Keystone Center programs
have achieved significant, measurable patient safety improvements -- lives
have been saved and errors have been reduced," said Spencer Johnson, president
of the MHA. "We are pleased to see the success of the MHA Keystone Center
hospitals serve as a beacon for other hospitals across the nation. We look
forward to sharing best practices and future learnings from other MHA Keystone
Center collaboratives already in progress."

Recently, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM) announced an expansion of
its commitment to patient safety and health care quality activities through a
$6 million, five-year investment in activities by the MHA Keystone Center.
This investment from BCBSM was the second of its kind to MHA Keystone Center
in less than four years.

"Statewide collaborations under the banner of the MHA Keystone Center have
been instrumental in Michigan's growing national reputation as a destination
for world class health care," said BCBSM President & CEO Daniel J. Loepp. "The
partnership between Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, the MHA Keystone
Center and Michigan hospitals is the best example of how collaboration between
health plans, hospitals, doctors and other medical professionals can
positively affect patient outcomes."

The MHA Keystone: ICU project improves safety and reduces medical errors in
hospital ICUs by reducing central line-associated bloodstream infections and
ventilator-associated pneumonia and enhancing communication and culture among
clinicians. In four years, the project resulted in nearly
1,800 lives saved, 129,000 excess hospital days prevented and $247 million in
medical costs avoided.(1)

The MHA Keystone Center coordinates additional voluntary patient safety
collaboratives that bring together hospitals, state and national experts and
best-practice evidence to address:

-- Surgical site infections
-- Rehospitalizations (hospital readmissions)
-- Catheter-associated urinary tract infections
-- Hand hygiene
-- Emergency room care and flow
-- Obstetrics

-- Organ donation

Michigan Health & Hospital Association and MHA Keystone Center for Patient
Safety & Quality
The MHA is a state association, based in Lansing, which represents and
supports Michigan hospitals, health systems and health care providers through
education, advocacy and communication. The MHA Keystone Center for Patient
Safety & Quality was created in March 2003 as a not-for-profit division of the
MHA Health Foundation and is headquartered at the MHA in Lansing. The MHA
Keystone Center brings together hospitals, state and national experts and
best-practice evidence to improve patient safety by addressing the quality of
health care delivery at the bedside. For more information, visit
www.MHAKeystoneCenter.org.

BCBSM
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, a nonprofit organization, provides and
administers health benefits to 4.7 million members residing in Michigan in
addition to members of Michigan-headquartered groups who reside outside the
state. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network are nonprofit
corporations and independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield
Association. For more company information, visit bcbsm.com.

(1) The total savings of lives and medical costs that appear in paragraph one
of the first page represent the total estimated savings from the first 18
months of the MHA Keystone: ICU project. The totals in paragraph three of the
second page reflect the total estimated savings of the MHA Keystone: ICU
project during a four-year span and reflect the most complete results that are
currently available.

SOURCE Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan

Lori Latham, MHA, +1-517-703-8605, llatham@mha.org; Helen Stojic, BCBSM,
+1-313-549-9884, newsroom@bcbsm.com