EVERETT — Providence Regional Medical Center Everett is the top ranked hospital in Washington for critical care, according to a comprehensive annual study released Oct. 21 by HealthGrades, the leading independent health-care ratings organization.
The HealthGrades study analyzes tens of millions of patients’ outcomes — specifically, mortality and complication rates — at the nation’s 5,000 hospitals.
In addition to ranking No. 1 in Washington, according to the study, Providence Regional Medical Center Everett ranks among the top 10 percent (or better) of hospitals nationally for critical care. Due to the hospital’s outcomes treating Medicare patients in these areas over a three-year period from 2007-2009, the study named the hospital as a recipient of the Critical Care Excellence Award for the fourth year in a row.
Patients highly value independent information on hospital quality performance. And in light of recent health reform measures, demand for this information is only likely to increase. In a recent survey of visitors to HealthGrades.com related to hospital quality, 94 percent ranked quality outcomes and ratings as very important compared to reputation (89 percent), volume (78 percent) and location (58 percent).
Providence has created a culture of quality and transparency and is proud of the results that it has achieved across a wide variety of specialty areas.
“This award is the latest accolade in our multi-year history of award-winning care including several Distinguished Hospital Awards, Patient Safety Awards, Cardiac Care Awards and other awards by the HealthGrades organization,” said David Brooks, CEO Providence Regional Medical Center. “This award yet again, underscores the expertise, commitment and clinical quality of our patient care teams. The physicians, nurses and other medical professionals who work at Providence Regional are the very best — bar none – and that’s why Providence continues to be named to these national top award-winning lists.”
According to the 13th annual HealthGrades Hospital Quality in America study, top-rated hospitals had a 53 percent lower mortality rate than the U.S. national average for 17 procedures. Providence has earned these awards by routinely studying statistical data and working through physician-led performance teams.
One of these project teams generated a change in blood utilization. Providence’s cardiac surgery team developed a clinical protocol to reduce the use of blood and blood products. This protocol has yielded nationally recognized performance. As a result, these findings have been transferred to other specialties such as orthopedics, which has seen a 50 percent reduction in blood use.
Other teams have worked on patient falls, surgical site infections and rapid evaluation of stroke patients. With the upcoming opening of the new Colby Campus patient tower, these teams will soon have Puget Sound’s most advanced clinical environment to continue achieving awards and recognition as a leader in patient safety.
The new 2011 HealthGrades hospital ratings were posted Oct. 21, and are free to the public, at www.healthgrades.com.
HealthGrades’ ratings
HealthGrades rates hospitals independently based on data that hospitals submit to the federal government. No hospital can opt in or out of being rated, and no hospital pays to be rated.
For 26 procedures and treatments, HealthGrades issues one- to five-star ratings 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. Because the risk profiles of patient populations at hospitals are not alike, HealthGrades risk-adjusts the data to allow for equal comparisons.
According the new study, Providence Everett is five-star rated for:
Treatment of heart failure;
GI procedures and surgeries;
Treatment of pancreatitis;
Treatment of sepsis;
Overall critical care;
Treatment of respiratory failure; and
Appendectomy
Earlier this year Providence Everett was recognized by HealthGrades as a recipient of the Emergency Medicine Excellence Award — the only hospital in the state to receive this distinction. This award recognizes hospitals that have scored among the top five percent of all hospitals nationally for outcomes of patients admitted to the hospital from the emergency department for 11 medical conditions.
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