 | |
Independent National Study Recognizes St. Helena Hospital’s Heart Program for
Clinical Quality Excellence
Cardiac and Vascular Service Lines Cited in 7th Annual HealthGrades Study
LAKEWOOD, CO (October 12, 2004) – St. Helena Hospital in the Napa Valley has
received five-star ratings for clinical quality and performance excellence in
Heart Failure and Peripheral Vascular Bypass, according to a new study released
today by HealthGrades, the nation’s leading healthcare quality company.
St. Helena Hospital’s ratings place the hospital as the best rated provider in
the North Bay/North Coast region of California for Overall Cardiac Services
three years in a row. The hospital is also rated as the best provider of
Cardiology and Cardiac Interventional Procedures in the new analysis and is the
only 5-star rated hospital in the region for Treatment of Heart Failure.
“We’re very pleased and proud to be recognized with these outstanding
HealthGrades quality ratings, which validate our commitment to clinical
excellence,” said JoAline Olson, President & CEO. “Top ratings from an
independent, objective national source demonstrate the quality care that our
physicians, nurses and staff deliver to the patients and families in our
community every day.”
As part of its seventh annual Hospital Quality in America Study, HealthGrades
independently analyzed nearly 5,000 hospitals in all 50 states and the District
of Columbia for its 2005 ratings, objectively assessing their clinical outcomes,
performance and quality. 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).
Earning a 5-Star designation indicates that a hospital has scored in the Top 15%
or better in the nation for clinical quality.
“HealthGrades objectively assesses and rates hospital performance in order to
help consumers make better and more informed healthcare choices,” explained
Sarah Loughran, HealthGrades executive vice president. “With consumers having a
greater stake in their healthcare purchasing decisions, it’s important for them
to know that there is a tremendous difference in clinical quality outcomes
between hospitals.
“In the North Bay/North Coast region, St. Helena Hospital stands out notably in
terms of delivering quality care for its cardiac and vascular patients,”
Loughran added. “Patients, families and employers here truly have access to
healthcare that is among the best in the nation.”
The 2005 HealthGrades ratings for all hospitals nationwide are available, free
of charge, on the web at www.healthgrades.com. More than one million unique
users and 125 major employers visit the HealthGrades web site every month to
access quality information about hospitals, nursing homes and physicians.
HealthGrades also provides consumers and payers with detailed assessments of
hospitals’ patient safety outcomes, based on indicators developed by the U.S.
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
About HealthGrades
Health Grades, Inc. (OTCBB: HGRD) is the leading independent healthcare quality
company, providing ratings, information, and advisory services to healthcare
providers, employers, health plans, and insurance companies. HealthGrades works
with healthcare providers to help assess, improve and promote their quality.
HealthGrades provides consumers access to information about the clinical quality
and patient safety outcomes of healthcare providers and practitioners through
its Web site and provides liability insurers, employers, and payers with
critical information about healthcare quality and safety.
About St. Helena Hospital
St. Helena Hospital is a 181-bed full service, non-profit community hospital
specializing in cardiovascular care, women’s services, minimally invasive
surgical services, emergency and medical/surgical services, obstetrics, home
care and behavioral health services on the St. Helena and Vallejo Campus. The
St. Helena Center for Health offers residential lifestyle enhancement programs
in nicotine addiction, weight management and an executive health program called
ONE. St. Helena Hospital is a member of Adventist Health, a network of 85
healthcare business units in California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington,
including 20 acute care facilities with more than 3,100 beds, 17,200 employees,
numerous clinics, outpatient facilities and home health agencies. For more
information, visit www.sthelenahospital.org.
In the North Bay/North Coast region, St. Helena Hospital is affiliated with
Ukiah Valley Medical Center, Redbud Community Hospital in Clearlake and Howard
Memorial Hospital in Willits.
|
