FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 17, 2010

NEWS RELEASE
Contact: Geoffrey Roche
Coordinator, Community and Government Relations
Phone (570) 476-3767
Fax (570) 420-2537
Email: groche@pmchealthsystem.org

NEWS RELEASE
HealthGrades® Presents Distinguished Hospital for Clinical Excellence™ Award to Pocono Medical Center

HealthGrades, the leading independent healthcare ratings organization that analyzes patient outcomes at each of the nation’s 5,000 nonfederal hospitals, officially announced today that Pocono Medical Center is being recognized as among the top 5% in the nation for outstanding clinical performance.

In addition to the Distinguished Hospital Award, HealthGrades also recognized Pocono Medical Center with the HealthGrades Excellence Awards for its Cardiac Surgery, Stroke Care, Prostatectomy, Gastroenterology and Critical Care services.  Alison Laevey presented the awards on behalf of HealthGrades to Pocono Medical Center. They were accepted by Jonathan Goldner, DO, Chief of the Medical Staff, Pocono Medical Center; Kathleen E. Kuck, President & CEO, Pocono Health System/Pocono Medical Center; and Andrew Worthington, Vice Chair, Pocono Health System/Pocono Medical Center Board of Directors. 

At the Press Conference, Kathleen E. Kuck, President & CEO recognized her staff for this achievement.  “I am so proud to represent such a talented, hard-working group of individuals.  This is a tremendous accomplishment for our hospital and our community.  It reflects our ongoing dedication to excellent patient care, and it means our community has access to some of the very best care in the nation,” she said.  Kuck also stated that independent studies like HealthGrades’ are important because they help consumers become more educated in selecting their healthcare providers. 

According to the eighth annual HealthGrades Hospital Quality and Clinical Excellence study, Pocono Medical Center and the other hospitals in the top 5% demonstrated patient outcomes that far exceeded those of other hospitals.  Patients admitted to these hospitals had risk-adjusted mortality rates that were, on average, 29% lower than all other hospitals. Risk-adjusted complication rates were, on average, 9% lower than all other hospitals.

“Our data shows that only a select few hospitals achieve high-quality patient outcomes not just in a few categories of care, but across the board and over time,” said Rick May, MD, a vice president with HealthGrades and an author of the study.  “Patients in communities with a Distinguished Hospital for Clinical Excellence should feel proud of the hospital’s accomplishments, and confident that the level of care there is among the very best in the nation.”

The study states: “Patients who choose to receive their care at a Distinguished Hospital for Clinical Excellence certainly will have a lower risk for an adverse clinical outcome relative to all other hospitals.”  As a group, Pocono Medical Center and those identified as being in the top 5% in the nation improved their mortality rates at a faster pace than all other hospitals.  Over the years 2006, 2007 and 2008, the HealthGrades study found that Distinguished Hospitals for Clinical Excellence lowered their risk-adjusted mortality rates over the three years by an average of 14%, compared with a 10% average improvement of all other hospitals.

For more information, visit: www.healthgrades.com. 

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