Joint Commission Recognizes Excela Health for Advancing Quality

GREENSBURG, PA., November 7, 2018 … The Joint Commission has recognized Excela Health as a 2018 Pioneers in Quality™ Solution Contributor for its contributions to electronic clinical quality measure (eCQM) data for quality improvement in health care.

Until recently, most hospitals collected information to measure health care quality
by manually abstracting data from patient records. Today, through eCQMs — which rely on
on structured, encoded data present in the electronic health record — hospitals can
electronically collect and transmit data on the quality of care that patients receive. The
electronic data can be analyzed to measure and improve care processes, performance, and outcomes.

The Joint Commission, the United States’ leading accreditor of health care
organizations, established the Pioneers in Quality™ program to assist and recognize
accredited hospitals, critical access hospitals, and health systems that report eCQM
data, as well as share best practices for all hospitals and systems in gathering,
analyzing and leveraging eCQM data for quality improvement.

Of more than 3,200 Joint Commission-accredited hospitals that reported 2017
data, only 25 have been named 2018 Pioneers in Quality™. Along with the other two
dozen health care organizations recognized by The Joint Commission, Excela Health is
featured in the newly published Pioneers in Quality™ eCQM Proven Practices
Collection: Recognizing Success 2017-2018.

Pioneer in Quality Proven Practices support peer-to-peer sharing of successes
and strategies in eCQM adoption.

“We are proud to be recognized by The Joint Commission,” said Denise Addis,
MSN, RN, CPHQ, Excela Health’s Director of Value-Based Quality. “It reflects on our
staff’s commitment to continuous quality improvement, especially as it relates to the
adoption of electronic clinical quality measures — the evolution and future of health care
data reporting. Like The Joint Commission, we believe gathering and analyzing
performance data is crucial to continuously improve quality of care and outcomes for
all patients.”

“We commend Excela Health as a 2018 Pioneers in Quality™ organization for its
contributions and commitment to electronic clinical quality measure data and practice
toward quality improvement,” said David W. Baker, MD, MPH, FACP, executive vice
President, Division of Health Care Quality Evaluation, The Joint Commission.

“That work to voluntarily share information helps the entire industry move forward in
utilizing electronic clinical quality measurement for health care improvement.”

Pioneers in Quality™ recognition is not an indicator or measure of data quality or
quality of care, but an indicator of an organization’s commitment to adopting eCQMs
toward quality improvement. It recognizes eCQM data reporting and other contributions
that advance eCQM adoption in health care. For more information about The Joint
Commission and the Pioneers in Quality™ program, visit www.jointcommission.org.

About The Joint Commission

Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission seeks to continuously improve health care for
the public, in collaboration with other stakeholders, by evaluating health care
organizations and inspiring them to excel in providing safe and effective care of the
highest quality and value. The Joint Commission accredits and certifies more than
21,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. An independent,
nonprofit organization, The Joint Commission is the nation’s oldest and largest
standards-setting and accrediting body in health care.