Newswise — SEATTLE – (Feb. 21, 2017) – Virginia Mason announced today it has received the "America’s 50 Best Hospitals Award" from Healthgrades, a leading online consumer resource for comprehensive information about hospitals and physicians.
Being named one of the top 50 hospitals in the nation places the medical center among the top 1 percent of more than 4,500 hospitals nationwide for consistent, year-over-year superior clinical performance across a broad spectrum of care as measured by Healthgrades.
“Patients are first and foremost in everything we do,” said Virginia Mason Chairman and CEO Gary S. Kaplan, MD. “Quality and safety are foundational to the culture at Virginia Mason. This recognition by Healthgrades acknowledges the impact of the dedication to excellence throughout our organization and underscores that we are focused on the right work.”
This is the first time Virginia Mason has been named a top 50 hospital by Healthgrades, but it was ranked among the 100 best hospitals in 2014, 2015 and 2016. Also, Virginia Mason has received Healthgrades’ Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence for seven consecutive years.
Virginia Mason is the only recipient of the 50 Best Hospitals Award this year in the Pacific Northwest (Washington, Oregon, Idaho).
The award winners were determined by Healthgrades’ analysis of risk-adjusted mortality and complication rates for common procedures and conditions, including pneumonia, heart failure, sepsis, stroke and respiratory failure. From 2013 through 2015 (the study period for this award), if all other hospitals, had performed at the level of Virginia Mason and the other award recipients, an estimated 176,473 lives could potentially have been saved, Healthgrades announced.
“Our analysis of clinical outcomes shows that there is tremendous variation in care, so it’s important for consumers to research and select a hospital that will provide high-quality care,” said Brad Bowman, chief medical officer, Healthgrades.
Teams at Virginia Mason use tools of the Virginia Mason Production System, the organization’s management methodology, to reduce variability, improve quality and safety, and enhance the overall patient experience. Patients often participate in workshops designed to improve the way tasks are performed at Virginia Mason.
“We view patients and their families as our partners as we co-design health care processes together, based on their input and needs,” Dr. Kaplan said.
To determine its top 50 hospital award winners, Healthgrades analyzed three years of Medicare Provider Analysis and Review (MedPAR) data to produce a detailed report on mortality and complication rates in U.S. hospitals. For the 2017 award, approximately 45 million Medicare patient records for years 2013 through 2015 were analyzed for nearly 4,500 short-term, acute care hospitals nationwide, assessing hospital performance relative to 32 common conditions and procedures. Healthgrades’ evaluation adjusts for risk factors that influence patient outcomes. These may include age, sex, specific procedure performed and co-morbid conditions, such as high blood pressure and diabetes. The outcomes reflect clinical-based measures, including in-hospital complications or in-hospital and 30-day post-admission mortality. Full methodology documentation is available at www.Healthgrades.com/quality