Tops in the nation
Good news on region’s hospitals even if ranking has a downside
Updated: 08/05/08 6:47 AM
For a region that has more than its share of bad economic news, a recent development offered a bit of cheer: A national ranking put Western New York York hospital care at the top — best of 98 metropolitan areas for the value of the care delivered here.
What is more, eight of the region’s hospitals were named in the nation’s top 100 for value, with Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center leading the pack at No. 12.
The ranking doesn’t simply count the quality of care, but how much that quality costs — how much medical bang for the health care buck. Still, to achieve the top ranking plainly requires a notably high level of quality. The hospitals here have cause for pride.
As to the other part of the equation — the cost of care — the region is dealing with a double-edged blade. Comparatively low costs are an obvious and important advantage to Western New York businesses, which pay the tab for most nongovernment health insurance policies. Those low rates can help draw new employers to the region, just as higher ones could drive more businesses away or diminish the quality of insurance policies provided.
But there is another side, one that is undermining medical care in Western New York. Reimbursement rates by insurers to doctors and hospitals are the lowest in the state and among the lowest in the country. It’s one of the reasons why New York is having a problem attracting enough primary care physicians.
Plainly, the region needs more balance. It hurts as much as it helps if a top ranking like this is built upon a factor that could cause the whole structure to tilt.
Still, it’s an undeniable benefit to have this kind of recognition, especially as it reflects on the quality of care delivered here.
Good for the hospitals. Good for all of us.
