Hospital inspections and complaint investigations have been added to the New York State Hospital Profile, State Health Commissioner Richard F. Daines, M.D., announced last Friday.
The Web site (http://hospitals.nyhealth.gov) allows consumers to review hospital data by health condition, surgical procedure or special state designation, such as a stroke or burn center. The site includes information on four health conditions, including care related to heart attacks, heart failure, pneumonia and prevention of surgical infections, and up to 21 related services. The data includes information reported by hospitals to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services through September 2006, the latest available.
The hospital profile also highlights risk-adjusted surgical outcomes on adult cardiac bypass and valve surgery, as well as angioplasty procedures and pediatric-specific heart surgery statewide. The information on cardiac data includes hospital-reported data through December 2005.
And now, the incorporation of surveillance data onto the site supplies information about inspections, complaints and enforcements. The public can readily see when the Department of Health issued a citation and, specifically, in what area the hospital was deficient. The number of complaints and the outcome of the investigations are summarized. The public also will know the monetary fines the Department assessed against hospitals, and be provided with a description of the case related to each enforcement action.
Initially, the information covers surveillance and complaints from January 2005 through September 2006, and enforcement actions from January 2002 to the present. This information will also be updated quarterly.