Bassett selected among top 100 U.S. health networks

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February 4, 2012

By Shirley O'Shea Contributing Writer The Daily Star Sat Feb 04, 2012, 02:30 AM EST

Bassett Healthcare Network was named to a list of the top 100 integrated health networks in the U.S., a Bassett media release announced Friday.

The recognition is the culmination of "25 years of effort," Dr. William Streck, network president and chief executive officer, said Tuesday.

Bassett ranked 48 out of 100 such networks in an evaluation done by SDI Health LLC, a private health care analytics firm in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts, the release said.

The Bassett network has six affiliated hospitals _ Bassett Medical Center in Cooperstown, A.O. Fox Memorial in Oneonta, O'Connor in Delhi, Tri-Town Regional in Sidney, Cobleskill Regional and Little Falls, and several other health centers and facilities _ which serve a 5,600-square-mile region, the media release said.

The network has more than 4,000 employees and a $600 million budget, Streck said, and averages 750,000 patient visits per year.

Streck said the evaluation measured coordination of patient care among providers and facilities and the flow of patient information throughout the network.

For patients, that means being in the Bassett system ensures efficiently delivered care, Streck said.

Streck said Bassett began integrating care in the late 1980s, when the hospital "recognized that it would take more coordination and integration of activities to deliver effective care in this broad region. It was applied common sense."

According to Streck, SDI contacted the network about participating in the nationwide evaluation. The network received a survey, which was "like taking an exam," he said.

Streck said that the network did not pay any fee to participate in the survey.

The survey evaluated the networks in eight categories, such as integrated technology, services and access, and physicians, the release said. Each network was ranked based on its scores.

Streck said it was helpful to see how Bassett's scores compared with other IHNs. Networks with higher scores may tell Bassett administrators what areas of the network need improvement, he said.

"Other (networks) are quite willing to share where they've done better," Streck said.

SDI's list of top 100 IHNs was published in January in Modern Healthcare magazine.