Five Kansas City metro hospitals made a so-called "naughty" list this holiday season.
They were penalized for patient safety.
Overland Park's Blue Valley Hospital is one of 758 hospitals across the country on the list.
"We were really surprised because our infection rates are very low," said Blue Valley Hospital spokeswoman Megan Rogers.
FULL LIST: 758 Hospitals Penalized For Patient Safety In 2016
The small specialty hospital made the federal government's list of facilities with high rates of avoidable issues like infections, blood clots and falls.
Rogers says Blue Valley's administrator is going through records dating back to 2012.
The hospital was founded in 2010.
"We've been spending time doing research on where their numbers came from and how the scores were compiled," Rogers said.
Making the list means a one percent reduction in Medicare payments for 2016.
It's part of the terms of the "Hospital Acquired Conditions Reduction Program", a federal law now in its second year of enforcement.
Blue Valley made the list for the first time.
Four other area hospitals are now on it for each of the two years the law has been in effect.
One of them being, Truman Medical Center Hospital Hill.
Truman issued this statement.
"Quality and patient safety are Truman Medical Centers’ top priorities. As with the most recent Medicare standards, it can be difficult to compare hospitals which have significantly different patient populations,.
A majority of our patients have multiple chronic conditions, making them significantly higher risks for complications/infections.
While treating these complex patients can be challenging, we continue to move toward improved safety outcomes and have among our goals to be in the top academic medical centers in the nation when it comes to safety and quality.
While the information that Medicare receives can be one and a half to two years old, recent data shows that our ongoing commitment to patient safety is paying off now, with substantial improvements in safety outcomes.
Another area hospital on the list is the University of Kansas Hospital in Kansas City, Kansas.
Doctor Tim Williamson, Vice-president of Quality and Safety at the University of Kansas Hospital issued this statement.
“The Medicare penalties for hospital acquired conditions are based on older data … it’s like looking in the rearview mirror. We, at The University of Kansas Hospital are focused on current data … what is our safety reduction today?
We have robust teams working daily on multiple safety initiatives (including more areas than Medicare reports) and tracking our progress to keep patients safe.
Our data shows significant improvements such as recent substantial progress in reducing central line infections.
Having said that, all hospitals have room to do better and we are working toward zero harm daily.
It’s a challenge when you care for the sickest of the sick, complex patients with compromised immune systems and at high risk for infection, but are absolutely committed to this important goal.”
Overland Park's Menorah Medical Center and Leavenworth's St. John Hospital also made the list and offered no comment.
Meanwhile, Rogers says Blue Valley has strong infection control protocols and issues are rare.
"If anything does come up, it usually isn't in the hospital," Rogers said. "It's usually after the patient goes home," she said.
Medicare patient percentages vary among hospitals.
Rogers says Blue Valley's is small, but didn't give an exact figure. She says as a result, any penalty wouldn't have much impact.
Truman spokesman Shane Kovac says that hospital has about 15 percent Medicare patients.
He says that number is relatively low for a large hospital.
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Andy Alcock can be reached at anderson.alcock@kshb.com.
