Caldwell hospital earns spot among nation’s Top 100 Hospitals

West Valley Medical Center in Caldwell stands as Idaho’s sole hospital to be recognized among the 100 Top Hospitals in the nation, as determined by an independent quality analysis conducted by PINC AI and reported by Fortune. This marks the eighth time West Valley has achieved this distinction, and the hospital has further distinguished itself by being in the top 30 on the list, earning an Everest Award.

Organizations do not apply to participate in the study. According to PINC AI, the selection process relies on an objective, data-driven assessment of publicly available information to identify the leading hospitals in the United States. This initiative leverages transparent, unbiased data to inform strategies for sustained performance improvement.

“Our continued recognition on this Top 100 list speaks to the work of our colleagues and their steadfast focus on quality and patient safety,” said Travis Leach, CEO at West Valley Medical Center. “Our care team strives to make a real difference in the lives of every patient we serve. This award reflects their exceptional efforts, now more than ever, in creating a safe environment to build healthier tomorrows.”

West Valley, a 150-bed facility, is categorized as a medium community hospital. The Canyon County hospital has garnered national acclaim for implementing various initiatives to improve quality and enhance patient satisfaction. Some of these initiatives include:

1. A proactive approach to the early identification and treatment of severe infections, such as sepsis, which has been proven to enhance outcomes.
2. A commitment to patient engagement by introducing patients to their care team and sharing information at the bedside during shift changes and department transfers.
3. Daily safety huddles and weekly quality meetings to review day-to-day activities, addressing the ongoing safety needs of patients and staff.

Performance Insights from the 100 Top Hospitals Program.

This year, the analysis revealed that the winners of the 100 Top Hospitals program outperformed their peers in several key areas. Compared to hospitals that did not receive this recognition, the winners achieved:

• 31% fewer patient deaths.
• 9% fewer patients experiencing complications.
• 39% fewer health care-associated infections (HAIs).
• Nearly 20% lower inpatient expenses per discharge.
• An average hospital stay that was 0.5 days shorter.
• Higher reported patient experience scores, with a top-box Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) score of 77%, compared to 70% for non-winning hospitals.

“As hospitals continue to share the nation’s focus on changing healthcare for the better, hospitals and health systems are recognizing the importance of identifying areas within their walls for quality improvement,” said Leigh Anderson, Premier’s COO and the leader of PINC AI. “The transparent and non-biased measures this study provides, helps leaders make informed decisions for change, and proves that West Valley Medical Center excels across a range of core performance indicators, which can directly lead to significantly higher quality patient outcomes, with fewer readmissions and complications.”

Methodology for Selecting Everest Award Winners – West Valley is one of the 30 hospitals receiving this award The Everest Award selection process can be summarized in three main steps:

1. Identifying annual 100 Top Hospitals award winners through an objective methodology based on publicly available data and a balanced scorecard of performance measures, utilizing the most current data available (2021 in this study).
2. Employing a five-year (2017 – 2021) trending methodology to identify the 100 hospitals demonstrating the fastest and most consistent improvement rates on the same balanced scorecard of performance measures.
3. Recognizing those hospitals that ranked in the top 100 on both lists.