Client News: Elkhart General Hospital is Among the Top 5% in the Nation for Joint Replacement Care

Source: Elkhart General Hospital Press Release

ELKHART, IN – HealthGrades’ annual study released today ranks Joint Replacement care at Elkhart General Hospital in the top 5% in the nation. HealthGrades, the nation’s leading independent ratings organization, evaluates patient outcomes for 5,000 hospitals. This research is the only comprehensive analysis based solely on patient mortality and complication rates.

The public is demanding increased public reporting of quality measures, and recent government reform efforts support this call to action. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, more than 40% of adults report that they believe there are major differences in hospital quality in their immediate geography. Additionally, since 1996, the number of consumers that indicated they would choose a hospital based on a high quality rating over familiarity has increased to 72% from 59%.

2011 Clinical Achievements include:

* Recipient of the HealthGrades Joint Replacement Excellence Award™ For 3 Years in a Row
* Ranked Among the Top 5% in the Nation for Joint Replacement For 2 Years in a Row
* Ranked Among the Top 10% in the Nation for Joint Replacement For 3 Years in a Row
* Ranked #4 in Indiana for Joint Replacement For 3 Years in a Row
* Five-Star Rated for Joint Replacement For 3 Years in a Row (2009-2011)
* Five-Star Rated for Total Knee Replacement For 3 Years in a Row (2009-2011)
* Five-Star Rated for Total Hip Replacement For 3 Years in a Row (2009-2011)
* Ranked #7 in Indiana for Overall Cardiac Services
* Ranked #6 in Indiana for Cardiology Services
* Five-Star Rated for Treatment of Heart Failure For 9 Years in a Row

“The fact that we have once again been honored by HealthGrades is a testimony to the excellence of our physicians and staff at Elkhart General,” said Gregory W. Lintjer, President of Elkhart General Hospital. “Consistency in quality and dedication to our patients are the key ingredients that have led to this success.”

The HealthGrades study, the largest annual report of its kind, analyzed patient outcomes in nearly 40 million Medicare hospitalization records from the years 2007, 2008 and 2009. Among the findings related to inhospital complications in this year’s study are:

* Across all procedures in which complications were studied, there was an 80% lower chance of experiencing one or more complications in a 5-star rated hospital compared to a 1-star rated hospital.

* Across all procedures studied, there was a 63% lower chance of experiencing one or more inhospital complications in a 5-star rated hospital compared to the U.S. hospital average.

* If all hospitals performed at the level of a 5-star rated hospital, 185,875 inhospital complications may have been avoided among Medicare patients over the three years studied.

The new 2011 HealthGrades hospital ratings were posted today and are free to the public at www.healthgrades.com.

# # #

About Elkhart General Hospital
Elkhart General Hospital is an independent, not-for-profit, community-owned healthcare system located in Elkhart, Indiana. The full-service, 325-bed main hospital is comprised of 330 physicians representing 30 medical specialties, and over 2,000 employees serving in nursing, technical, administrative, and support capacities. The Elkhart General Hospital website is www.egh.org.

About HealthGrades
HealthGrades’ hospital ratings and awards reflect the track record of patient outcomes at hospitals in the form of mortality and complication rates. 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 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 equal comparisons.

More information on the Thirteenth Annual HealthGrades Hospital Quality in America study, including the complete methodology, can be found at www.healthgrades.com.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT
Peggy Randolph
Elkhart General Hospital, Project Coordinator
Phone: (574) 523-3303
Email: prandolph@egh.org
Website: www.egh.org