Scripps La Jolla Named Among Top 100 Hospitals in the U.S.

​Hospital only one in San Diego County on IBM Watson Health’s prestigious 2019 list

LA JOLLA, Calif. – For the fourth consecutive year, Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla has been named among the top 100 hospitals in the nation in a study conducted by IBM Watson Health.
 
The 26th annual Watson 100 Top Hospitals study released this week identified the best hospitals in the United States based on their overall organizational performance, including clinical care metrics and operational data. Previously, the study was known as Truven Health Analytics 100 Top Hospitals.
 
Recognized in the large community hospitals category, Scripps La Jolla was the only hospital in San Diego County to make the prestigious list this year.
 
“We are honored that Scripps La Jolla has been named as one of the top-performing hospitals in the nation,” said Cindy Steckel, chief operations executive at Scripps La Jolla. “This honor recognizes the exceptional care we deliver to our patients and our community through our focus on patient safety, superior outcomes and evidence-based treatments.”
 
The study, which was based on data from 2012 through 2016, found that hospitals on this year’s 100 Top Hospitals list had survival rates that were 24.9 percent better than peer hospitals, had 18.7 percent fewer complications and had 19.3 percent fewer health care-associated infections. Hospitals on the list achieved these superior clinical outcomes while also incurring inpatient expenses that were 11.9 percent lower than those of their peers.
 
Extensive hospital evaluations
The 100 Top Hospitals study is the most comprehensive, academically driven analysis of its kind. It uses independent, quantitative research to evaluate the performance of 3,156 short-term, acute care non-federal hospitals across the country. Watson researchers measure clinical and operational performance in 10 areas, using publicly available information from Medicare cost reports, Medicare Provider Analysis and Review data, and core measures and patient satisfaction data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Hospital Compare website. Hospitals do not apply for consideration, and winners do not pay to market this honor.
 
“At a time when research shows that the U.S. spends nearly twice as much on health care as other high-income countries, yet has less effective population health outcomes, the 100 Top Hospitals are setting a different example by delivering consistently better care at a lower cost,” said Ekta Punwani, 100 Top Hospitals program leader at IBM Watson Health.
 
Watson Health is a business unit of IBM that is dedicated to the development and implementation of cognitive and data-driven technologies to advance health.
 
Advances at Scripps La Jolla
Established in 1924 by Ellen Browning Scripps, Scripps La Jolla offers 444 licensed beds and a wide range of clinical, surgical and specialty services. In 2015, Scripps opened its Prebys Cardiovascular Institute at the Scripps La Jolla campus, which features world-class physicians, ground-breaking research and state-of-the-art technology. The tower houses two hybrid operating rooms, four cardiovascular operating rooms, 59 intensive care unit beds and 108 private inpatient rooms. In 2016, a new emergency and trauma center with 51 private beds opened in the institute’s ground floor. Also in 2016, a new outpatient clinic opened on the Scripps La Jolla campus, the Scripps Clinic John R. Anderson V Medical Pavilion.
 
ABOUT SCRIPPS HEALTH
Founded in 1924 by philanthropist Ellen Browning Scripps, Scripps Health is a nonprofit integrated health care delivery system based in San Diego, Calif. Scripps treats more than 700,000 patients annually through the dedication of 3,000 affiliated physicians and more than 15,000 employees among its five acute-care hospital campuses, home health care services, 27 outpatient centers and clinics, and hundreds of affiliated physician offices throughout the region.
 
Recognized as a leader in disease and injury prevention, diagnosis and treatment, Scripps is also at the forefront of clinical research. With three highly respected graduate medical education programs, Scripps is a longstanding member of the Association of American Medical Colleges. Scripps has been ranked five times as one of the nation’s best health care systems by Truven Health Analytics. Its hospitals are ranked No. 1 in San Diego County and among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Scripps also is regularly recognized by Fortune and Working Mother magazine as one of the best places in the nation to work. More information can be found at www.scripps.org.