In 2012, the Commonwealth Fund published the first ever healthcare delivery performance “scorecard” for all 306 U.S. hospital referral regions. Performance scores were based on four components: access to care, quality of care, costs and avoidable hospital use, and health outcomes. The results showed a clear connection between these components – the better the access, the better the quality of care, the better the outcomes. It is not surprising that in general, economically deficient communities had lower performance scores, with less access and poorer health outcomes. The researchers’ key finding was that where one lived correlated with the level of access and care, and whether or not you were healthier as a result.
Performance scores varied from region to region, state to state, and even within a particular local community. Regionally, the Northeast and Upper Midwest dominated the upper percentiles, despite lagging behind others in key indicators such as avoidable hospital visits. While the top 10 listed below set the standard for other communities, the researchers concluded that they too have room for improvement.
#2. Dubuque, Iowa
#7. La Crosse, Wisconsin (tie)
#7. St. Cloud, Minnesota (tie)
#9. Manchester, New Hampshire (tie)
#9. San Mateo County, California (tie)
What does this mean for you, the healthcare professional, and your career moves? In the case of salary, maybe not much. For example, the median salary for a Physical Therapist in both the lowest performing community, Monroe, LA and the highest, St. Paul, MN – is $60,000, according to Glassdoor. Most chose your profession to be of service to others, and this study revealed that every U.S. community could benefit from that motivation to upgrade their healthcare delivery system. Centra has great healthcare employment opportunities across this nation. Call us today at 800 535 0076!