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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 12, 2004
Independent National Study Recognizes
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.
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Editor's Note: HealthGrades
video/b-roll is available at www.thenewsmarket.com. A registered username and password are
required. If you have questions, please
call (303) 716-6522 for detailed information.
HealthGrades Frequently Asked Questions
What is HealthGrades?
- Health Grades, Inc. is an independent healthcare
information and advisory services company based in Lakewood, Colo. The company’s core business is to
provide accurate and objective comparison ratings of healthcare providers,
based solely on the quality of clinical outcomes.
How Are Healthcare Providers Rated By
HealthGrades?
- HealthGrades independently and objectively
analyzes and rates more than 5,000 hospitals according to specialty
(cardiac surgery, cardiology, orthopedic surgery, neurosciences,
pulmonary/respiratory, vascular surgery, obstetrics, Women’s Health and
other procedures).
- Data on the clinical quality of providers is
obtained from more than 75 independent public and private sources,
including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, state medical boards
and state departments of health or public health.
- HealthGrades analyzes the healthcare provider
data, and subsequently rates the clinical quality of providers, using
detailed methodologies and statistical models developed by national
experts. The HealthGrades models
and methodologies are open and transparent – workshops are held at the
company’s Lakewood office each quarter to share the details with
healthcare leaders. Our
methodology white paper is also available on the web at www.healthgrades.com.
Can Hospitals Pay HealthGrades for Good
Ratings or Purchase Better Ratings?
- NO. All
providers are rated by HealthGrades based on the exact same data (which
anyone can obtain) and methodology.
Providers cannot “purchase” or “pay for” a positive HealthGrades
rating; nor can providers pay to have substandard ratings changed.
- HealthGrades has consulted with nearly 300
hospitals nationwide to help them market positive ratings; and to assess,
understand and improve the quality of their clinical outcomes. However, the hospital ratings are
developed independently and outside the consulting process.
Where is HealthGrades Information
Available?
- Ratings of all hospitals and nursing homes, along
with information on approximately 650,000 physicians, are available at www.healthgrades.com. The hospital and nursing home ratings
are free to consumers. Detailed
physician reports are available to consumers for a nominal fee.
- HealthGrades also provides detailed quality
information to approximately 125 major companies in the US, serving more
than 18 million employees.
© Copyright
1999-2004, Health Grades, Inc. All
Rights Reserved.
HealthGrades Contact
Sarah
Loughran
Executive
Vice President
(303)
716-6502
Hospital Contact
Crister
DelaCruz
St. Helena Hospital
Public and Media Relations
Marketing Department
(707) 963-5677
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