Press Release

May 11, 2004 MGHS joins Home Health Quality Initiative to improve quality of care delivered by home health agencies Information posted on Medicare’s Web Site will enable consumers to make more informed decisions on home health care Marquette General Health System has announced that its Home Health & Hospice service has joined the national Home Health Quality Initiative to further improve the quality of care received by 3.5 million elderly and disabled Americans who receive annual care from nearly 7,000 Medicare-certified home health agencies nationwide. The initiative gives consumers the ability to gain easy access to important, objective healthcare information to help make more informed decisions when choosing a home health care provider for themselves or loved ones. The data is part of a new Home Health Quality Initiative(HHQI) of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), a federal agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services designed to improve quality of care provided by home health agencies through public reporting and community-based efforts. “As a partner in this quality initiative, we recognize the opportunity to work collaboratively with Michigan’s Medicare Quality Improvement Organization (MPRO) will expand our knowledge and resources to help us achieve greater and enhanced services,” said Bill Nemacheck, chief executive officer at Marquette General. “As a leading provider of home health and hospice services in the Upper Peninsula, we’re committed to providing the highest level of care for the many patients we treat.” Marquette General operates home health and hospice offices in Marquette, Escanaba, Menominee, Kingsford and Sault Ste. Marie. The HHQI releases new quality data to give seniors and their families comparative information about home health agencies’ quality of care. Through its participation, Marquette General is further illustrating its commitment to offering quality home health care. “A key step toward selection of a home health provider is for the consumer to be aware that quality of home care can be measured,” said Karen Erickson, Program Director of Marquette General Home Health and Hospice. “This initiative provides to the consumer the information they need to make informed healthcare choices.” Consumers can obtain the comparative data by going on-line www.medicare.gov and clicking on Home Health Compare. They can also request information by calling toll-free at 1-800-MEDICARE. Additional information available on-line or by phone includes: brochures and fact sheets on how to choose a home health agency; information on patient rights; and a checklist that will help consumers begin the dialogue with a home health agency. For more information about MGHH&H services, visit its web site at www.mgh.org/home/what.html. E-MAIL THIS MGHS STORY Enter recipient's e-mail: Close Window MGHS HOME Marquette General Hospital, 420 W. Magnetic Street, Marquette MI 49855