Memorial Medical Center is Only Pennsylvania Hospital Recognized for both Women’s Health and Maternity Care Excellence in Study Released Today

JOHNSTOWN, PA (June 30, 2009) – Memorial Medical Center announced today that it has received the 2009/2010 Women’s Health Excellence Award™ and Maternity Care Excellence Award™ from HealthGrades, the nation’s leading independent healthcare ratings organization, based on a newly released study of patient outcomes.

This year, 169 hospitals, which represent the top five percent of all hospitals in the U.S., were recognized with the Women’s Health Excellence Award™ and 145 were recognized with a Maternity Care Excellence Award™. Only 15 hospitals across the country received both prestigious awards and only one in the state of Pennsylvania was among this elite group- Memorial Medical Center.

The Sixth Annual HealthGrades Women’s Health in American Hospitals study released today by HealthGrades analyzed two separate data sets: 1. patient outcomes for the inhospital treatment of 16 procedures/diagnoses concerning women’s health, which included 2.6 million hospitalizations using Medicare data from all 50 states (2005-2007) and 2. hospital delivery and neonate records in more than 1,500 hospitals in 19 all-payer states (2005-2007), which included approximately 13 million patient records. The study found that wide gaps persist between the quality of care at best- and worst-performing hospitals. 

If all hospitals in the study performed at the level of the best-performing hospitals in women’s health, 18,089 women’s lives could have potentially been saved and 6,849 complications could have been avoided during the years 2005, 2006 and 2007. Eighty-two percent (14,930) of the potentially preventable deaths were associated with the treatment of just four diagnoses: pneumonia, stroke, heart failure, and heart attack.

The study also found that best-performing hospitals for maternity care had 52% fewer maternal complications among women who had vaginal births compared to poor-performing hospitals and

76% fewer complications among women who had C-sections.

Patient-choice C-sections had the largest difference at 84% between best- and poor-performing hospitals.

“It’s quite an honor to be the only hospital in the state and one of just 15 in the country honored with HealthGrades Excellence Awards in both the Maternity Care and Women’s Health,” says David Carlson, DO, Chief Medical Officer, Conemaugh Health System. “This latest recognition reinforces the fact that the care provided by our highly skilled and dedicated physicians, nurses and staff is not only improving, but saving numerous lives. We are very proud of each and every one of our employees for their commitment to ‘Excellence. Every patient. Every time.’” 

Hospitals that receive the Women’s Health Excellence Award™ rank among the top 5% of all hospitals nationwide when it comes to providing care to women in three areas: Women’s Medicine (heart attack, congestive heart failure, pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and stroke); Women’s Cardiovascular Procedures (coronary bypass surgery, peripheral vascular bypass, coronary interventional procedures, resection/replacement of abdominal aortic aneurysm, carotid surgery, and valve replacement); and Women’s Bone & Joint Health (total knee and total hip replacement surgeries, spinal surgeries, and hip fracture repair).

 “The way in which women present symptoms differ from men in acute situations, such as heart attack,” said Dr. Rick May, senior physician consultant with HealthGrades and a study co-author. “Treatment for women can also differ and the quality can certainly vary between hospitals, so it is important for women to know which hospitals are recognized among the top five percent in the nation.”

To be included in the Women’s Health analysis, hospitals had to have an open-heart program and treat significant numbers of women for stroke. Hospitals also had to have a significant patient population in at least six additional cohorts from all areas (pulmonary, cardiac, vascular, orthopedics and spine).

 The study, along with HealthGrades’ individual hospital ratings, can be viewed for free at www.HealthGrades.com.

Click here to view our Awards page.