Gibson Area Hospital & Health Services (GAHHS)orthopedic program today received a five-star designation from Healthgrades for total hip replacement and hip fracture treatment, the leading provider of information to help consumers make an informed decision about a physician or hospital. The findings are part of American Hospital Quality Outcomes 2013: Healthgrades Report to the Nation, whichevaluated the performance of approximately 4,500 hospitals nationwide across nearly 30 of the most common conditions and procedures. Healthgrades based its objective measures solely on clinical performances by analyzing nearly 40 million Medicare hospitalization records for services performed from 2009–2011.
GAHHS Chief Compliance Office and Marketing Director, Mike Meunier said, “Our vision is to be the model of excellence in rural health care, and this award solidifies that not only are we accomplishing our vision, we are exceeding it. This 5 star award covers all hospitals in Illinois, and to be selected as the Best hospital in the Champaign-Urbana region in Total Hip Replacement and Hip Fracture Repair in 2012 is a testament to our entire hospital and medical staff.”
A wide variation in quality exists among American hospitals, according to the Healthgrades report.Patients were 61% less likely to experience a major in-hospital complication when being treated at a five-star hospital when compared with a one-star hospital across a range of common procedures, such as total knee replacement and spine surgeries.
Meunier said, “When it comes to investments in our service lines, we do not put a price tag on patient safety or quality. Our number one ranking in patient satisfaction scores over the past several years only exemplifies our total commitment to the communities we serve. This starts with attracting the finest physicians and providers, along with investing in state of the art technology and equipment. Our vision and values through working with the hospital staff, Board of Directors, and community has strategically positioned GAHHS to continue this success for years to come.”
The Healthgrades study also found that from 2009 through 2011:
- A total of 183,534 in-hospital complications could have been avoided during hospital stays if all hospitals performed at a five-star level.
- Patients were 42% less likely to experience an in-hospital complication in five-star hospitals versus all other hospitals.
Healthgrades independently measures hospitals based on data that hospitals submit to the federal government. No hospital can opt in or out of the analysis, and no hospital pays to be measured. Mortality and complication rates are risk adjusted, which takes into each hospital’s unique population.
The American Hospital Quality Outcomes 2013: Healthgrades Report to the Nation, including the complete methodology, can be found at www.healthgrades.com/quality.
