Hospital Engagement Network Program Report Shows Improvements in Care Benefits

to more than 69,000 Patients and Cost Savings of more than $200 Million

On Feb. 5, the American Hospital Association (AHA) / Health Research & Educational Trust (HRET) Hospital Engagement Network (HEN) released its annual report highlighting the program’s success of the past two years. The report showed significant improvements in quality were made in key clinical areas resulting in better care for an estimated 69,072 patients with associated cost savings of more than $201,811,600.

The work took place as part of the federal Partnership for Patients initiative with the goals of reducing harm by 40 percent and readmissions by 20 percent. The program was launched to help the hospital field develop the infrastructure, expertise and organizational culture to support further improvements going forward. 

“The HEN program has been an important tool in helping America’s hospitals and their dedicated employees significantly improve patient safety and reduce readmissions,” said Rich Umbdenstock, president and CEO of the AHA. “Hospitals have made incredible strides improving patient safety and reducing costs, and the HEN has been a critically important component of that work.” 

The AHA/HRET HEN is comprised of 31 participating states and U.S. territories and more than 1,500 hospitals. Of that total, 46 percent of hospitals in the AHA/HRET HEN are rural hospitals and 33 percent are critical access hospitals. This level of diversity offers a great opportunity for the HEN to achieve and share best practices that are relatable to all hospitals.

“We are grateful to CMS for the opportunity to showcase how the HEN can serve as a model for many future quality improvement efforts,” said Maulik Joshi, president of HRET and senior vice president for AHA. “My wholehearted thanks to our partners and the hospitals participating for their work to date, because they are helping to ensure that patients only receive the best care – making their lives better.” 

For more information on the project and report, visit http://www.hret-hen.org or www.hret.org.