SGMF Earns "Best Practice" ratings in PacifiCare's Quality Index

October 10, 2001

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PacifiCare awards Sutter Gould “Best Practice” designations
Modesto, CA -- Sutter Gould Medical Foundation (SGMF) received a total of 12 “Best Practice” desig-nations in PacifiCare’s Fall 2001 QUALITY INDEX™ profile – PacifiCare’s public report on medical group performance. The index rates PacifiCare and SecureHorizons (a Medicare HMO) contracted medi-cal groups and IPAs in 43 measures (21 PacifiCare, 22 SecureHorizons) related to clinical, service and administrative quality. It represents more than 25,000 physicians serving approximately 2.1 million PacifiCare and SecureHorizons members in California.

"We congratulate Sutter Gould Medical Foundation for their outstanding performance on PacifiCare's QUALITY INDEX™ profile,” said Sam Ho, M.D., corporate medical director for PacifiCare. "Together, we believe we can make significant strides over time to further improve quality and service to our mutual members.”

“Best Practice” status is awarded when a group scores 90 or higher in a particular category, putting it in the top 10% relative to other participating groups statewide.

PacifiCare reports information by county. Listed below are the categories for which SGMF received “Best Practice” designations, attributable to either San Joaquin or Stanislaus counties:


PacifiCare
 Cervical Cancer Screening – 91st percentile
 Hospital Readmissions - 99th percentile
 Member satisfaction with Participating Medical Group - 90th
 Member Satisfaction with Primary Care Physician – 90th percentile
 Primary Care Access Complaints – 92nd percentile
 PacifiCare Medical Group Transfers - 99th percentile
 Member Cost Emergency Room - 94th percentile

SecureHorizons
 Breast Cancer Screening - 97th percentile
 Flu Shots – 97th percentile
 Flu Shots – 98th percentile in San Joaquin County
 Eye Exam for Diabetics – 92nd percentile
 Prescription Drug Treatment for Congestive Heart Failure - 95th percentile


Sutter Gould Medical Foundation operates 17 neighborhood care centers throughout the Central Valley, and is an affiliate of Sutter Health, one of California’s largest and most respected community-based, not-for-profit health care systems.