Deaconess
Medical Center Recognized for Rardiac,
Vascular and Gastrointestinal Clinical
Excellence
Receives National Awards According to
HealthGrades
SPOKANE, Washington (January 9, 2006) – Deaconess Medical Center has received
HealthGrades 2006 Cardiac Care Excellence AwardTM, Vascular Care Excellence AwardTM,
and Gastrointestinal Care Excellence AwardTM according to information released
today by HealthGrades, the nation’s leading provider of independent hospital
ratings. Deaconess Medical Center is the only hospital in Washington to receive
all three awards. To qualify for the award, Deaconess Medical Center was ranked
among the top 10 percent of hospitals in the United States for overall cardiac,
vascular, and GI care. The recognition is based on HealthGrades annual analysis
of more than 37 million Medicare patient discharges at nearly every hospital
in the country.
Deaconess Medical Center is also ranked number one in Washington for overall
cardiac and vascular care, as well as receiving five-star ratings for coronary
interventional procedures, treatment of heart attack, treatment of heart failure,
carotid endarterectomy, and GI surgery and procedures according to HealthGrades.
“Once again, we have independent validation of what our physicians, nurses
and staff have known for years—Deaconess delivers some of the very best
care in the nation,” said Jeff A. Nelson, Empire Health Services, CEO. “This
award is the culmination of all the hard work and dedication to clinical excellence
our staff and physicians exude. I’d like to congratulate and thank our
physicians and staff for their commitment to quality and the exceptional patient
outcomes they provide to this community.”
As part of its eighth annual Hospital Quality in America Study, HealthGrades
independently analyzed more than 5,000 hospitals in all 50 states and the District
of Columbia for its 2006 ratings, objectively assessing their clinical outcomes
and quality. The data utilized in the assessment is licensed from the federal
government’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and is risk-adjusted,
so that hospitals with differing patient populations can be compared on equal
footing. The HealthGrades ratings measure whether patient outcomes for each of
more than two dozen procedures and diagnoses are better than expected (5-Star),
as expected (3-Star) or worse than expected (1-Star).
“Each year HealthGrades identifies the top performers in several clinical
areas, and we’re happy to announce Deaconess Medical Center is a recipient
of the 2006 Cardiac Care Excellence Award, Vascular Care Excellence Award, and
Gastrointestinal Care Excellence Award" said Samantha Collier, M.D., HealthGrades
vice president of medical affairs.
The 2006 HealthGrades ratings for all hospitals nationwide are available to consumers,
free of charge, on the web at www.healthgrades.com. More than two-and-a-half
million individuals, and more than 125 of the nation’s largest employers
rely on HealthGrades web site to research quality information about hospitals,
nursing homes and physicians. HealthGrades also rates hospitals’ patient
safety outcomes, based on indicators developed by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare
Research and Quality.
About Deaconess Medical Center
Deaconess Medical Center is an acute care, not-for-profit hospital located in
downtown Spokane, Washington. Fully accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation
of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), Deaconess is a level II trauma center with
388-licensed beds.
Deaconess is a member of Empire Health Services (EHS), a not-for-profit health
system in Spokane. Along with Deaconess, EHS owns and operates Valley Hospital
and Medical Center in the Spokane Valley along with four urgent care clinics
located throughout Spokane. More information on the company can be found at www.empirehealth.org
About HealthGrades
HealthGrades (Nasdaq:HGRD) is the leading healthcare ratings company, providing
ratings and profiles of hospitals, nursing homes and physicians to consumers,
corporations, health plans and hospitals. Millions of consumers and hundreds
of the nation’s largest employers, health plans and hospitals rely on HealthGrades’ independent
ratings to make healthcare decisions based on the quality of care. More information
on the company can be found at http://www.healthgrades.com. |
