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Beebe named among nation's top hospitals

Healthgrades rates medical center among top 5 percent nationwide
January 15, 2013

Beebe Medical Center has been named among the top 5 percent of hospitals nationwide, joining 262 hospitals on the list.

Beebe was among more than 4,500 hospitals assessed for clinical excellence. Hospital officials and staff will receive the award Jan. 15 in Lewes.

The Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence is awarded by Healthgrades, a leading provider of comprehensive information about physicians and hospitals.

“The award also recognizes the attention to detail and to continuously improving processes, both inside the hospital and in our outpatient programs, such as Beebe CAREs, that have made our clinical outcomes among the best in the nation,” said Beebe President and CEO Jeffrey Fried.

Beebe Medical Center is among hospitals named this year that stand out above the rest for their overall clinical care across a broad spectrum of care.

“On the Delmarva Peninsula, this is the first time any hospital has won the award four years in a row,” Fried said. “I think the award allows us to recognize our team members and doctors, and it also shows us areas for improvement. We want to be five stars in everything.”

Fried said the award shows a consistency in outstanding clinical care and reflects the commitment to quality and patient safety of Beebe’s board, physicians, clinical staff and all employees.

He said the majority of the data points measured received the top five-star rating on the Healthgrades survey. Fried said Beebe officials will work to improve areas with fewer than five stars.

Healthgrades rates hospital services with one, three or five stars. One star means worse than expected, three stars is as expected and five stars is better than expected. The assessments are calculated using rates of mortality and complications from common procedures.

Healthgrades gave Beebe 14 five-star ratings, including top ratings for angioplasty, sepsis and all orthopedic procedures such as back and neck surgery, hip fracture and replacement and total knee replacement.

Included in the 15 areas with three stars are COPD treatments, heart attack, heart failure, heart valve repair or replacement and diabetic acidosis and coma.

Only one area – the mortality rating for stroke patients – received one star.

In 270 cases documented by Healthgrades, 7.4 percent of stroke patients died in the hospital; 10 percent died within 30 days; and 23 percent died within 180 days. All of these percentages were higher than predicted mortality as defined by Healthgrades.

The findings are part of American Hospital Quality Outcomes 2013: Healthgrades Report to the Nation, which evaluates the performance of 5,000 hospitals nationwide across 28 of the most common conditions and procedures. The 2013 performance outcomes are now available free to the public at www.healthgrades.com.

Healthgrades is a for-profit company based in Denver, Colo. It evaluates overall data for all hospitals, and by paying for marketing rights, Beebe is allowed to use Healthgrades scores in advertisements.

Highlights:

• Beebe ranked better than average on recovery programs for patients after hip fracture surgery.

• Beebe ranked better than average on patients with bloodstream infections or deep blood clots in the lungs or legs following surgeries.

• From 2009 through 2011, Healthgrades Distinguished Hospitals for Clinical Excellence as a group had an overall 30.9 percent lower risk-adjusted mortality rate as compared to other hospitals that did not achieve the Distinguished Hospital for Clinical Excellence Award (across 18 common inpatient conditions and procedures).

• In addition to clinical excellence, over the past year Healthgrades has recognized Beebe Medical Center for its quality care in orthopaedic surgery, cardiology, vascular surgery, and pulmonary care.

• Beebe ranked worse than average on the number of patients with respiratory failure after surgery.

• Beebe ranked worse than average on patients with a collapsed lung after a procedure in or around the chest.

Other area hospitals also received Healthgrades rankings. Nanticoke Memorial Hospital in Seaford received 12 five-star ratings.  Both Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury and Bayhealth-Kent General in Dover won 17 five-star ratings.

About Beebe

Beebe Medical Center is a community-owned, not-for-profit hospital with 210 licensed beds. Beebe Medical Center offers an open-heart surgery program, cardiac intervention, cancer treatment, orthopedic surgery, gastroenterology/bariatrics, women’s health services, emergency medicine and outpatient services throughout Sussex County.

Beebe has more than 340 physicians on its medical staff and 1,900 employees. In 2012, Beebe provided more than $27 million in unreimbursed care to patients living in Sussex County. Also in FY 2012, Beebe treated nearly 51,000 patients in the Emergency Department, admitted 9,650 patients to the hospital, and delivered about 900 babies. For more information, go to www.beebemed.org.

 

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