The coronavirus public health emergency will have a long-lasting impact on the finances and care delivery processes of hospitals across the United States. The pandemic has also emphasized the significance of clinical quality, and patient and staff safety, as well as adherence to best practices.

On March 27, 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) granted exceptions and extensions for certain deadlines to help healthcare providers care for and protect their patients and staff. This decision is important to hospitals because of the financial implications associated with the quality metrics that influence the CMS Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) program. Achieving or exceeding baseline benchmarks not only maximizes CMS reimbursements and incentive payments through the VBP program, but helps organizations manage overall costs by improving patient outcomes and reducing lengths of stay.

See the full article in Patient Safety & Quality Healthcare, August 5, 2020.