HealthGrades: Patients Admitted to Top Emergency Medicine Programs Have 40% Lower Death Rate
NEW ORLEANS – For the third consecutive year, HealthGrades has named Ochsner Medical Center and Ochsner Medical Center- West Bank Campus (both campuses of Ochsner Clinic Foundation) recipients of the HealthGrades Emergency Medicine Excellence Award, placing the emergency medicine program among the top five percent of programs in the nation. Ochsner is the only hospital in Louisiana to receive the HealthGrades 2012 Emergency Medicine Excellence Award.
Ochsner’s commitment to high quality emergency care is evident through its investment in emergency medicine technology and patient satisfaction. Recognizing that in an emergency, time is of the essence, in March 2009 Ochsner became the first hospital in the region to post real time, online ER wait times at www.ochsner.org/ER. In early 2010, Ochsner followed up with its ER Wait Times iPhone application so patients en route could find the quickest and closest Ochsner location. The app can be downloaded at iTunes.
Ochsner has seven full-service ER locations across southeast Louisiana, including a pediatric emergency department at Ochsner Medical Center that features kid-friendly exam rooms and in-house pediatric specialists. In addition, Ochsner Baptist’s ER has specially designed rooms for senior patients and staff trained in geriatric medicine readily available.
“It is imperative that anyone experiencing a medical emergency go directly to the closest hospital, especially in the event of a heart attack or stroke,” said Dr. Arshad Rahim, report author and Director of Accelerated Clinical Excellence at HealthGrades. “That said, our findings show the care you receive once admitted to the hospital can also make the difference between life and death. We encourage all patients to educate themselves about the quality of emergency medical providers in their area and to choose a top performing hospital whenever there is a choice.”
Key findings of the HealthGrades report include:
- Medicare patients treated at hospitals recognized with a HealthGrades Emergency Medicine Excellence Award had, on average, a 41.52% lower risk of death compared to patients treated at non-recipient hospitals.
- If all hospitals performed at the level of the Emergency Medicine Excellence hospitals from 2008 through 2010, an additional 170,856 people could have potentially survived their emergency hospitalization.
- HealthGrades found that over 61% of hospital admissions among seniors begin in the emergency department, higher than any other age group.
The findings are based on an analysis of more than seven million Medicare patient records from 2008 to 2010. HealthGrades Emergency Medicine in American Hospitals report focused on 12 of the most common and life-threatening medical emergencies among that patient population, including heart attack, stroke, pneumonia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD. A full listing of the 263 hospitals performing in the top five percent in the nation can be found online at HealthGrades.com.
Ochsner was recently named to HealthGrades Distinguished Hospitals for Clinical Excellence™ for the third year in a row. This prestigious distinction places Ochsner among the top five percent of hospitals nationwide for clinical performance – and the only hospitals in Louisiana to receive the award. In addition, in October a HealthGrades study of quality metrics rated Ochsner Medical Center and Ochsner’s West Bank Campus among the 100 Best in the Nation for Stroke Care, Gastrointestinal Care, Critical Care and Pulmonary Care. Ochsner was the only hospital in Louisiana to achieve these honors as well.
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About Ochsner Health System
Ochsner Health System is southeast Louisiana’s largest non-profit, academic, multi-specialty, healthcare delivery system with eight hospitals and over 38 health centers in Louisiana. Ochsner has been named the Consumer Choice for Healthcare in New Orleans for 16 consecutive years and is the only Louisiana hospital recognized by U.S. News and World Report as a “Best Hospital” across seven specialty categories. Ochsner employs more than 12,500 employees, over 850 physicians in over 90 medical specialties and subspecialties and conducts over 300 clinical research trials annually. Ochsner Health System is proud to be a tobacco-free environment. For more information, please visit ochsner.org and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
About HealthGrades
HealthGrades, headquartered in Denver, Colorado, is a leading provider of comprehensive information about physicians and hospitals. More than 200 million consumers use the HealthGrades websites, including HealthGrades.com and BetterMedicine.com, to research, select, and connect with a physician or hospital, and use its comprehensive information about clinical outcomes, patient satisfaction, patient safety, and health conditions to make more informed healthcare decisions and take action. Find more information about our products and services at HealthGrades.com. Follow us on Twitter (@HealthGrades) and Facebook for news and updates. More information on how HealthGrades guides Americans to their best health can be found at www.healthgrades.com.
HealthGrades’ Hospital Ratings
In this analysis, HealthGrades independently and objectively analyzed approximately seven million Medicare patient records from fiscal years 2008 through 2010. To be included in the analysis, hospitals must have met minimum thresholds in terms of patient volumes, quality ratings, and the range of services provided. Individuals may compare their local hospitals online at HealthGrades.com. HealthGrades’ hospital ratings are independently created; no hospital can opt-in or opt-out of being rated, and no hospital pays to be rated.
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