Cleveland, OH (October 13, 2009) – A study issued today by HealthGrades, the leading independent healthcare ratings organization, finds that St. Vincent Charity Hospital ranks among the top 5 in Ohio for spine surgery. St. Vincent Charity Hospital achieved 5 star ratings in both Spine Surgery and Back and Neck Surgery.  The nation’s nearly 5,000 nonfederal hospitals were all included in the sweeping study, which examined mortality rates and complication rates from government data from 2006, 2007 and 2008.

In addition to the recognition for spine, back and neck surgery, St. Vincent Charity is ranked among the top 5 hospitals in Ohio for Heart Failure, having received 5-star ratings for eight years in a row (2003-2010). 

The study also recognized St. Vincent Charity Hospital’s Pulmonary care for being among the top 5% in the nation with 5 star ratings in Overall Pulmonary Services five years in a row.  As a result, St. Vincent Charity Hospital receives the 2010 HealthGradesTM Pulmonary Care Excellence Award.

St. Vincent Charity’s quality of care is evident across multiple services. The Catholic community hospital also received 5-stars in the following areas:

      ·        Five-Star Rated for Treatment of Stroke  - 8 years in a row (2003 - 2010)

·        Five-Star Rated for Treatment of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease  - 3 years in a row (2008 - 2010)

·        Five-Star Rated for Treatment of Pneumonia  - 8 years in a row (2003 - 2010)

·        Five-Star Rated for Treatment of Bowel Obstruction  - 4 years in a row (2007 - 2010)

·        Five-Star Rated for Treatment of Respiratory Failure in 2010

 “In 2001 St. Vincent Charity Hospital began building our foundation for a delivery model that would ensure high-quality care for our patients. At the core of this model is the implementation of multidisciplinary teams that rely on the knowledge of the frontline workers,” said Adnan Tahir, M.D., Chief Medical Officer. “Our focus is on patient-centered care that meets and exceeds national standards for quality and safety. This recognition of our commitment to quality demonstrates that we implemented a successful delivery system that is effective in achieving high quality outcomes in this competitive healthcare market,” he said

 “We have been working for many years on our quality initiatives and believe that these awards for excellence exemplify our commitment to providing the highest quality health care to our patients,” said Sister Judith Ann Karam, CSA, president and CEO.

 The HealthGrades twelfth annual Hospital Quality in America study, the largest annual report of its kind, analyzed patient outcomes from nearly 40 million Medicare hospitalization records.

 Top-performing hospitals had dramatically lower mortality rates than other hospitals, according to the study. For the 17 procedures and diagnoses for which HealthGrades analyzed mortality rates, patients at top hospitals had a 72 percent lower chance of dying when compared with the lowest-performing hospitals, and a 52 percent lower chance of dying when compared to the U.S. national average.

 This recognition across service lines reflects the long-term commitment St Vincent Charity Hospital has undertaken to reach this quality achievement. Since the 2001 launch of its comprehensive quality initiatives, St. Vincent Charity Hospital has invested in the improvement of patient care through its redesigned Emergency Department that allows for quicker triage of patients; implementation of Pixys system to enable timely and accurate delivery of medication to patient floors; and Joint Commission Accreditation as Primary Stroke Center.

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HealthGrades Ratings

HealthGrades rates hospitals independently based on data that hospitals submit to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. No hospital can opt in or out of being rated, and no hospital pays to be rated.

 For 28 procedures and treatments, HealthGrades issues star ratings that reflect the mortality and complication rates for each category of care. Hospitals receiving a 5-star rating have mortality or complication rates that are below the national average, to a statistically significant degree. A 3-star rating means the hospital performs as expected. One-star ratings indicate the hospital’s mortality or complication rates in that procedure or treatment are statistically higher than average. Because the risk profiles of patient populations at hospitals are not alike, HealthGrades risk-adjusts the data to allow for apples-to-apples comparisons.

 More information on today’s HealthGrades study, including the complete methodology, can be found at www.healthgrades.com.