Nineteen non-profit Arkansas hospitals have been able to generate nearly $2.6 million in savings in 2007, and more than $11.4 million since 2000 by working with the Premier healthcare alliance, an announcement made yesterday with U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark.

Additionally, three Arkansas hospitals have significantly improved the quality of care they offer their patients through the Premier, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Hospital Quality Incentive Demonstration (HQID) pay-for-performance project, designed to determine if economic incentives to hospitals are effective at improving the quality of inpatient care.

As a result of the project, there has been a 46 percent increase in heart failure quality of care and a 22 percent increase in pneumonia quality of care at the Jefferson Regional Medical Center, a 38 percent increase in heart failure quality of care and a 24 percent increase in pneumonia quality of care at White River Medical Center, and a 37 percent increase in heart failure quality of care and a 23 percent increase in pneumonia quality of care at Stone County Medical Center.

Through Premier, which is based in San Diego, Calif., the 19 non-profit Arkansas hospitals are united to share best practices, benchmark against leading hospitals nationwide and benefit from economies of scale in purchasing supplies and services. Premier’s committee of hospital experts also helps them to acquire the latest technology faster.