Texas Health Arlington Memorial Wins Doyle Award From Milliman Care Guidelines

SEATTLE, Sept. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Texas Health Arlington Memorial Hospital, a member of the Texas Health Resources system, is the hospital-category winner of the 2010 Milliman Care Guidelines Richard L. Doyle Award for Innovation and Leadership in Healthcare.  The hospital used evidence-based guidelines software and daily multidisciplinary patient-care "huddles" to improve care coordination.  

Texas Health Arlington Memorial uses evidence-based guidelines for inpatient and surgical care, and general recovery to plan patient care, improve care coordination, and address patient needs early in hospitalization to reduce complications or discharge delays.  Per-patient charges and hospital lengths of stay decreased and patient satisfaction increased during the period reviewed, hospital officials said.

The Doyle Award recognizes clients that use Milliman Care Guidelines® products in innovative ways to work toward the delivery of optimal healthcare.  Applicants must demonstrate positive effects on healthcare quality or patient safety; on patient, member, payor or external quality agency satisfaction; on staff efficiency, or on healthcare cost.  

"Texas Health Arlington Memorial already had a coordinated, proactive patient-care tool in place that supported the Doyle Award goal of optimal healthcare delivery -- daily multidisciplinary care "huddles" during which caregivers discuss individual patient needs face to face", said Chris Myers, supervisor of case managers.  

At Texas Health Arlington Memorial, case managers, social workers, and charge nurses or unit managers attend daily huddles.  They are joined, as needed, by specialists such as physical therapists, nutritionists, chaplain, and critical care hospitalists, intensivists or oncologists.  The case manager records and tracks follow-up assignments.

"We're proud to recognize the improvement in quality and appropriateness of patient care at Texas Health Arlington Memorial," said James M. Schibanoff, MD, Editor-in-Chief of the Care Guidelines.  

About Texas Health Arlington Memorial Hospital

Texas Health Resources is one of the largest faith-based, nonprofit health care delivery systems in the United States, and the largest in North Texas in terms of patients served.  It has 12 acute-care hospitals and one long-term care hospital with a total of 3,355 licensed hospital beds, and is a corporate member or partner in six additional hospitals and surgery centers across 16 counties in north central Texas.  Texas Health was formed in 1997 with the assets of Fort Worth-based Harris Methodist Health System and Dallas-based Presbyterian Healthcare Resources.  Arlington Memorial Hospital, a full-service acute-care medical center with 417 beds, joined the THR system later that year.   For more about Texas Health and Arlington Memorial Hospital, visit www.texashealth.org  

About Richard L. Doyle

Richard L. Doyle, MD, the visionary behind the Milliman Care Guidelines, began creating clinical guidelines as San Diego's Mercy Hospital Chief of Staff in the 1980s to improve hospital efficiency and quality.  In 1990, Dr. Doyle joined Milliman to publish the company's first clinical guidelines.  Before retiring in 1997, he had produced the original editions of four of the Care Guidelines products currently in use.

About Milliman Care Guidelines LLC

Milliman Care Guidelines LLC, A Milliman Company, independently develops and produces evidence-based clinical guidelines and software used by more than 1,800 hospitals, health plans, and CMS audit contractors.  The seven-product Care Guidelines series is updated annually by an experienced team of clinicians and supports the care management of a majority of Americans.  For more information, visit www.careguidelines.com.  

About Milliman

Milliman Care Guidelines is a wholly owned subsidiary of Milliman, Inc., one of the world's largest independent actuarial and consulting firms.  Founded in Seattle in 1947 as Milliman & Robertson, the company now employs more than 2,400 people in 52 offices worldwide.  With consulting practices in healthcare, employee benefits, property and casualty insurance, life insurance and financial services, Milliman serves the full spectrum of business, financial, government, union, education and nonprofit organizations.  For more information, visit www.milliman.com.  

SOURCE Milliman Care Guidelines