[PHNUTR-L] America's 50 best hospitals 2008 released by HealthGrades

[Kathrynne Holden]

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Public release date: 25-Feb-2008
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-02/h-a5b021808.php

Contact: Scott Shapiro
sshapiro at healthgrades.com
720-963-6584
HealthGrades

America's 50 best hospitals 2008 released by HealthGrades

Analysis of patient outcomes at US hospitals from 1999 to 2006 
identifies top performers

GOLDEN, Colo. (February 25, 2008) – HealthGrades, the nation’s leading 
independent healthcare ratings organization, today identified America’s 
50 Best Hospitals, an elite class of top-performing facilities. The 
HealthGrades America’s 50 Best Hospital designation represents the 
healthcare industry’s only quality ranking based solely on objective 
clinical outcomes among U.S. hospitals.

To identify the 2008 designees, HealthGrades researchers analyzed 
approximately 100 million hospitalization records from nearly 5,000 
hospitals, from the years 1999 to 2006. To be listed among America’s 50 
Best Hospitals, facilities must have demonstrated clinical outcomes 
among the top five percent in the nation, not just in one medical 
specialty, but aggregated across 27 different procedures and diagnoses, 
and must have maintained this superior level of care during all years 
studied. These hospitals were found to have an average 27 percent lower 
mortality rate, on average, than all other U.S. hospitals.

“HealthGrades America’s 50 Best Hospitals demonstrate survival rates 
that are among the highest in the nation, and complication rates that 
are among the lowest in the nation, and they do it year after year,” 
said Dr. Samantha Collier, HealthGrades' chief medical officer and lead 
study author. “These hospitals are proof that top-notch medical care is 
something that can be achieved with dedication and commitment to 
quality. As our nation increasingly focuses on disparities in healthcare 
cost and quality, it is these elite, world-class facilities that will 
lead the way.”

For the second consecutive year, the HealthGrades America’s 50 Best 
Hospitals list contains nationally known facilities, such as Cedars 
Sinai in Los Angeles, Mayo Clinic in Minnesota and the Cleveland Clinic 
in Cleveland. But the list also identifies many hospitals that do not 
have national brand names, but that continue to demonstrate patient 
outcomes that are superior to their peers across the country.

As with all HealthGrades awards, the HealthGrades America’s 50 Best 
Hospital designation is based exclusively on clinical outcomes – 
risk-adjusted mortality and complication rates for patients at nearly 
every hospital in the nation. Hospitals cannot apply for this 
independent analysis, and they cannot opt-in or out of being rated.

“Think about it,” said Collier. “Only one percent of the nation’s 
hospitals achieve this level of clinical excellence. These hospitals are 
doing something very, very special that begins with the leadership and 
is infused throughout the hospital and its staff.”

HealthGrades’ annual assessment of mortality and complication rates in 
American hospitals analyzes the following procedures and diagnoses and 
then risk-adjusts the data to account for differences in patient 
populations among hospitals:

     * Atrial Fibrillation

     * Back and Neck Surgery (Spinal Fusion)

     * Back and Neck Surgery (except Spinal Fusion)

     * Bowel Obstruction

     * Carotid Surgery

     * Cholecystectomy

     * Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

     * Coronary Bypass Surgery

     * Coronary Interventional Procedures (Angioplasty and Stents)

     * Diabetic Acidosis and Coma

     * Gastrointestinal Bleed

     * Gastrointestinal Surgeries and Procedures

     * Heart Attack

     * Heart Failure

     * Hip Fracture Repair

     * Pancreatitis

     * Peripheral Vascular Bypass

     * Pneumonia

     * Prostatectomy

     * Pulmonary Embolism

     * Resection/Replacement of Abdominal Aorta

     * Respiratory Failure

     * Sepsis

     * Stroke

     * Total Hip Replacement

     * Total Knee Replacement

     * Valve Replacement Surgery

Methodology

In this analysis, HealthGrades independently and objectively analyzed 
approximately 100 million Medicare patient records from fiscal years 
1999 through 2006 for 27 medical procedures and diagnoses. To qualify 
for the list, hospitals were required to meet minimum thresholds in 
terms of patient volumes, quality ratings, and the range of services 
provided. Prior to comparing the inhospital mortality and complication 
rates of the nation’s hospitals, HealthGrades risk-adjusted the data to 
compare on equal footing hospitals that treated sicker patients. 
Hospitals with risk-adjusted mortality and complication rates that 
scored in the top five percent or better nationally – which demonstrates 
superior overall clinical performance – were then recognized as 
Distinguished Hospitals for Clinical Excellence.

Hospitals that received that designation the most consecutive times over 
the last six years were named HealthGrades America’s 50 Best Hospitals. 
HealthGrades’ methodology can be found in the study and on the company’s 
Web site. (Each of the six designations was based on three years of 
Medicare data, so eight years of data were studied.)

###

HealthGrades makes available to the public, at no charge, the quality 
ratings of every nonfederal hospital in the country at 
http://www.healthgrades.com.

About HealthGrades

Health Grades, Inc. (Nasdaq: HGRD) is the leading healthcare ratings 
organization, providing ratings and profiles of hospitals, nursing homes 
and physicians. Millions of consumers and many of the nation’s largest 
employers, health plans and hospitals rely on HealthGrades’ independent 
ratings and decision support resources to make healthcare decisions 
based on the quality of care. More information on the company can be 
found at http://www.healthgrades.com.
-- 
Kathrynne Holden, MS, RD
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