Newswise — SEATTLE – (Oct. 22, 2013) – Virginia Mason Medical Center announced today it has been recognized by Healthgrades as one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for cardiac, pulmonary, gastrointestinal, general surgery and critical care.

Virginia Mason is also a recipient of the Healthgrades Specialty Excellence Awards for cardiac, pulmonary, gastrointestinal, general surgery, critical care and treatment of stroke, ranking it among the top 5 percent nationally for these services.

“This recognition by Healthgrades is a testament to the commitment of teams across Virginia Mason, and of our partners at Group Health, EvergreenHealth and Pacific Medical Centers, to provide the highest quality care for our patients,” said Virginia Mason Chairman and CEO Gary S. Kaplan, MD. “Everything we do is designed to benefit those individuals with whose care we are entrusted.”

Healthgrades, the leading online resource that helps consumers search, compare and connect with physicians and hospitals, evaluated nearly 4,500 hospitals nationwide for 31 of the most common inpatient procedures and conditions and identified the 100 best hospitals within each procedure.

This is the third consecutive year Virginia Mason is ranked among Healthgrades’ 100 Best Hospitals for cardiac and gastrointestinal care, and the second straight year for pulmonary care, general surgery and critical care.

Also, this marks the fifth consecutive year Virginia Mason has received Healthgrades’ Specialty Excellence Awards for gastrointestinal and pulmonary care; the fourth straight year for critical care; the third consecutive year for cardiac and stroke care; and the second for general surgery.

Virginia Mason is a Healthgrades 5-Star Recipient in 15 categories in the areas of cardiac, orthopedics, neurosciences, pulmonary, gastrointestinal and critical care. Virginia Mason’s 5-Star ratings are for:• Pneumonia treatment (11 years in a row)• Bowel obstruction treatment (nine years in a row)• Sepsis treatment (six years in a row)• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease treatment (five years in a row)• GI bleed treatment (five years in a row)• Stroke treatment (five years in a row)• Coronary interventional procedures (four years in a row)• Heart attack treatment (four years in a row)• Esophageal/stomach surgery (four years in a row)• Small intestine surgery (four years in a row)• Colorectal surgery (four years in a row)• Heart failure treatment (three years in a row)• Pancreatitis treatment (three years in a row)• Total knee replacement (two years in a row)• Pulmonary embolism treatment (first year)

Kirkland, Wa-based EvergreenHealth, with which Virginia Mason has a strategic partnership, is recognized for quality by Healthgrades with the 100 Best Hospitals designation and Specialty Excellence Awards for pulmonary care, gastrointestinal services and general surgery, as well as the Specialty Excellence Award for stroke care.

These achievements are part of findings released today in "American Hospital Quality Outcomes 2014: Healthgrades Report to the Nation," which demonstrates how clinical performance differs dramatically between hospitals and the impact this variation may have on health outcomes. About Virginia Mason Medical CenterVirginia Mason Medical Center, founded in 1920, is a nonprofit regional health care system in Seattle that serves the Pacific Northwest. Virginia Mason employs more than 5,600 people and includes a 336-bed acute-care hospital; a primary and specialty care group practice of more than 460 physicians; satellite locations throughout the Puget Sound area; and Bailey-Boushay House, the first skilled-nursing and outpatient chronic care management program in the U.S. designed and built specifically to meet the needs of people with HIV/AIDS. Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason is internationally recognized for its breakthrough autoimmune disease research. Virginia Mason was the first health system to apply lean manufacturing principles to health care delivery to eliminate waste and improve quality and patient safety.

Media Contact: Gale RobinetteVirginia Mason Media Relations (206) 341-1509[email protected]

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