Shannon Health System Receives Award From the Texas Hospital Association

SAN ANGELO, TX – Shannon Health System was honored with a prestigious award from the Texas Hospital Association at this year’s THA Annual Conference and Expo in San Antonio in the non-teaching hospital category. 

Shannon was the recipient of the 2019 Bill Aston Award for Quality that honors a hospital’s measurable success in improving quality and patient outcomes through the sustained implementation of a national and/or state evidence-based patient care initiative.

Hospitals across Texas have been navigating the changes and challenges associated with the transition from fee-for-service reimbursement to value-based payment. With the new value-based payment model, hospitals must prove they are meeting quality standards and improving patient care while also remaining cost-effective. 

To ensure a successful transition, Shannon Medical System developed a strategic initiative that focuses on managing outcomes and improving overall care for their patients. The system’s dedication to using health care resources more effectively and efficiently to improve the health of patients earned it the Bill Aston Award for Quality in the non-teaching hospital division. 

Shannon Medical’s Care Coordination Program identifies high-risk patients who would benefit from home monitoring. A tablet device is sent home with patients for daily monitoring of things like blood pressure, weight, pulse oximetry, blood glucose levels and heart rate in the comfort of their own home. The patient can quickly and conveniently send daily results to the care team, who looks for trends that could indicate complications or a need for a visit to their doctor. 

When Shannon Medical began its Care Coordination Program, its 30-day hospital-wide unplanned readmission rate was above the national average. Since 2015, its unplanned readmission rate has dropped by 9%. Shannon Medical Center now has one of the lowest hospital-wide readmission rates in the nation.