Baptist Medical Center's Patient Outcomes Among Highest in the Nation, According to Independent Study
In 2010, no hospital in Mississippi has more Five-Star Ratings than Baptist Medical Center in Jackson, Miss., as recognized by HealthGrades, America's leading independent healthcare ratings organization. Baptist is among the top 10 percent in the nation for Vascular Surgery, Gastrointestinal Surgery and Gastrointestinal Care, according to a comprehensive annual study released today by HealthGrades. Baptist achieved five stars in carotid surgery, treatment of bowel obstruction, gallbladder surgery, prostatectomy and total knee replacement.
Jackson, Miss. (Vocus) October 14, 2009
In 2010, no hospital in Mississippi has more Five-Star Ratings than Baptist Medical Center (http://www. mbhs. org/about_baptist/healthgrades_awards. htm) in Jackson, Miss., as recognized by HealthGrades, America's leading independent healthcare ratings organization. Baptist is among the top 10 percent in the nation for Vascular Surgery, Gastrointestinal Surgery and Gastrointestinal Care, according to a comprehensive annual study released today by HealthGrades. Baptist achieved five stars in carotid surgery, treatment of bowel obstruction, gallbladder surgery, prostatectomy and total knee replacement.
"Our successes are made possible because of our team approach, which inte¬grates our clinical staff with our dedicated medical staff," said Baptist Chief Medical Officer Eric McVey, MD. This study validates our efforts to improve quality and illustrates our focus on patient safety."
Every year America's hospitals are ranked for quality of care. According to the 12th annual HealthGrades Hospital Quality in America study, top-rated hospitals have a 52 percent lower mortality rate than the U. S. national average. And when the top-rated hospitals were compared to the poorest performers, there was an even greater difference, 72 percent lower mortality.
"This honor shows Baptist's commitment to strive for excellence," Dr. McVey added. "As we move forward, we will continue to focus investments in the latest, innovative technology, enhancing our facility and advancing our clinical expertise. This will enable us to sustain and increase positive outcomes."
Baptist defines quality in a variety of ways including clinical quality of care, credentials, and patient satisfaction. Patients might see quality as the cleanliness of the facility or convenient parking. For health care organizations, quality is defined by how the organization treats illnesses and measures outcomes.
"There has been much publicity about measures of quality in the health care industry. Baptist voluntarily participates in a variety of measurements for health care quality," said Dr. McVey. "In order for us to achieve our vision to become the first choice for patients, physicians and employees in Mississippi, it is imperative we provide outstanding quality in all areas."
Even though many measurements exist to evaluate quality of care, the most conclusive way to recognize the quality of care is improving is to measure outcomes. Since 1999, HealthGrades has studied and measured the quality of care at the nation's approximately 5,000 hospitals and published the results of its annual research on the Web to assist consumers in choosing a hospital. HealthGrades' star rating system tells consumers whether a particular hospital's performance is "Best" with 5 Stars, "As Expected" with 3 Stars or "Poor" with 1 Star on a particular procedure or condition. Hospital ratings are based on patient outcomes, specifically, risk-adjusted mortality or complications.
"HealthGrades' recognition is good news for citizens in Mississippi. It's important for residents in our area to know they can find the high-quality care they seek right here at Baptist," said Dr. McVey.
HealthGrades Ratings
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 28 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 apples-to-apples comparisons.
More information on today's HealthGrades study, including the complete methodology, can be found at www. healthgrades. com.
About Baptist
Baptist Health Systems is the parent company of Baptist Medical Center, The Mississippi Hospital for Restorative Care and a number of related healthcare services and programs. For over 100 years, Baptist Medical Center has served Mississippi and the surrounding states as a Christian-based, non-profit comprehensive medical Center.
From its beginnings in 1908, Baptist has grown to include a medical center providing comprehensive services for people in every stage of life. The 500+ members of Baptist's medical staff represent more than 85 medical specialties.
For more information contact the Baptist Health Line at 1-800-948-6262 or 948-6262 or visit http://www. mbhs. org/ (http://www. mbhs. org/). Follow Baptist on Twitter at www. twitter. com/baptistmednews (http://www. twitter. com/baptistmednews). Become a Baptist Facebook fan at www. facebook. com/baptistmednews (http://www. facebook. com/baptistmednews). Or, view us on YouTube at www. youtube. com/baptistmednews (http://www. youtube. com/baptistmednews).
Contact: Robby Channell 601-968-5135
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