SSMHC began its quality journey in earnest in 1990 with system-wide implementation of continuous quality improvement (CQI).  It was among the first Catholic sponsored health care systems in the nation to do so. Continuous quality improvement was embraced as a way for the system to fulfill its mission. As a result, SSMHC has been continuously lauded as a trailblazer in providing top quality health care services, as well as quality in the workplace.

In 2002, SSMHC became the first health care winner of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, an award given by the President of the United States to organizations that are judged to be outstanding in seven areas -- leadership; strategic planning; customer and market focus; measurement, analysis, and knowledge management; human resource focus; process management; and results. Only three Baldrige Awards are given in each category each year (click here for a list of additional quality awards SSMHC has won).

Below is a list of reports for SSMHC hospitals from a variety of agencies who monitor quality in hospitals.

U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services/Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Hospital Compare has quality measures on how often hospitals provide some of the recommended care for an adult who is being treated for a heart attack, heart failure, or pneumonia. This quality information not only helps you make good decisions about your health care, but also encourages hospitals to improve the quality of health care they provide. Click one of the links below to see the data for our hospitals.

SSM DePaul Health Center
SSM St. Joseph Health Center
SSM St. Joseph Hospital West
SSM St. Joseph Hospital of Kirkwood
SSM St. Mary's Health Center

Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO)
To ensure the highest quality health care for our patients, SSMHC-St. Louis regularly participates in a national accreditation process sponsored by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). JCAHO is an independent, not-for-profit organization governed by a board that includes physicians, nurses, and consumers and sets the standards for measuring health care quality in the United States.

JCAHO evaluates and accredits more than 15,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. JCAHO accreditation is recognized nationwide as a symbol of quality that reflects an organization's commitment to meeting certain performance standards. To earn and maintain the the Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval™, an organization must undergo an on-site survey by a JCAHO survey team at least every three years.

To see how SSMHC hospitals scored, click here to access the JCAHO web site. Choose "Search by Name" and type in SSM. Then click "Search". If you have questions or concerns about care you received at an SSMHC facility, and those questions or concerns have not been resolved by the hospital,  you are encouraged to contact JCAHO.


Solucient: 100 Top Hospitals
The Cardiovascular Benchmarks for Success report identifies industry benchmarks and recognizes hospitals and their management teams that demonstrate superior clinical, operational, and financial performance in Cardiovascular service. SSM St. Mary's Health Center was among the Top 100 for 2004.

Premier Hospital Quality Incentive
The CMS/Premier Hospital Quality Incentive (HQI) Demonstration Project tracks hospital performance on a set of 34 nationally standardized and widely accepted quality indicators and pays annual incentives to top performers among participating hospitals. With four quarters of preliminary data gathered, there is a clear trend toward significantly improved quality among the participating hospitals. SSM DePaul Health Center recently received the prestigious Premier Award for Quality for treatment of patients with community-acquired pneumonia and heart failure. SSM DePaul was only Missouri hospital to receive the award, and one of only three hospitals across the country to be recognized for clinical excellence in multiple categories.

Other Quality Initiatives
Missouri Quality Award
MHA Hospital Performance Project
More