The FCV has won a prestigious health award in Europe

FCV was the only Spanish-speaking institution to obtain one of the Value-Based HealthCare (VBHC Value-Based HealthCare) awards, presented yesterday in the Netherlands. The excellent results in heart attack management led the hospital to receive the award in the Cost-Effectiveness category. 

The VBHC (Value-Based HealthCare) award recognizes innovative initiatives in the health sector and has seven categories.  The FCV is the only Spanish-speaking Hospital among the winners. The award organizers have acknowledged the outstanding cost-effectiveness results in the care of heart attack patients. With a hospital mortality rate of 3.95% in patients with acute myocardial infarction, the FCV has achieved results that are four points below international standards. This achievement has positioned the hospital to receive the award in the Cost-Effectiveness category. Bucaramanga, May 2023. FCV was the only Spanish-speaking institution to obtain one of the Value-Based HealthCare (VBHC Value-Based HealthCare) awards, presented yesterday in the Netherlands. The excellent results in heart attack management led the hospital to receive the award in the Cost-Effectiveness category. After evaluating 115 proposals from 27 countries, the European Center for Value-Based Medicine highlighted FCV for registering a hospital mortality rate of 3.95% in patients with acute myocardial infarction, an indicator that is four points below international standards. In the last two years, the FCV's Acute Myocardial Infarction Center of Excellence has discharged 1,345 patients, with 575 discharges in 2021 and 770 discharges in 2022. Alongside the exceptional clinical outcomes, this unit has also focused on optimizing resource management, particularly in Global Prospective Payment (PGP) contracts. Unlike the fee-for-service model, where hospitals bill insurers for each procedure performed on their members, PGPs involve an agreement that takes a group perspective rather than an individual one. "In PGPs, the EPS (Health Promoting Entity) and the Health Care Provider Institutions can agree on a predetermined payment for treating, for instance, 100 heart attack patients. This incentivizes insurers to work on prevention to ensure that no more than 100 members experience a heart attack while promoting resource efficiency among the institutions," explains Anderson Bermon, leader of the Epidemiology and Data Analysis Unit at the FCV. Based on this premise, the treatment costs for patients covered under PGP were 9.35% lower compared to other models. Additionally, the readmission rate within 30 days of discharge was 28% lower in the PGP group (43 patients per 1,000) compared to users of other contracts (55 per 1,000). "This combination of quality care at a reduced cost is supported by the high level of patient satisfaction with the care they receive," explains Alexandra Hurtado, an epidemiologist in the Adult Cardiology Unit. About the Center of Excellence in Acute Myocardial Infarction  To establish a center of excellence, hospitals must form a multidisciplinary group dedicated to a specific disease or surgical procedure, achieving outcomes that are comparable to the best centers worldwide. These quality standards are endorsed by independent accrediting bodies such as the Joint Commission International, a U.S.-based organization. In 2021, the FCV was recognized by the Joint Commission International with nine centers of excellence, including the Acute Myocardial Infarction Center.  The Acute Myocardial Infarction Center at FCV boasts a multidisciplinary team of general practitioners, internists, intensivists, cardiovascular surgeons, cardiologists, Interventional cardiologists, head nurses, nursing assistants, psychologists, nutritionists, social workers, and cardiac rehabilitators. This diverse team collaborates closely to provide the highest level of patient care. Ivonne Cañón, a cardiologist and leader of the Center of Excellence in Acute Myocardial Infarction, highlights their commitment to delivering exceptional patient care.