Multiple Clinical Service Lines Cited in 8th Annual HealthGrades Study
DELRAY BEACH, FL (October 17, 2005) – Delray Medical Center has received five-star ratings and top national rankings for clinical excellence in multiple services and procedures, according to a study released today by HealthGrades, the nation’s leading provider of independent hospital ratings.
Cardiac: Ranked among the top five percent of all hospitals in the nation, and five-star rated, for overall cardiac services, cardiology, heart surgery and cardiac interventional procedures (angioplasty and stent). Delray Medical Center ranks #1 in Florida for heart surgery and #2 in the state for overall cardiac services. The hospital is also five-star rated for treatment of heart attack, heart failure and atrial fibrillation.
Orthopedics: Ranked #1 in the West Palm Beach area for overall orthopedic services and joint replacement surgery, including five-star ratings for joint replacements, spinal surgery and partial hip surgery.
Gastrointestinal Services: Ranked among the top five percent in the nation for overall GI services. Delray Medical Center is also ranked #2 in Florida and #1 in the West Palm Beach area for GI medical treatments. The hospital received five-star ratings for treatment of gastrointestinal bleed, bowel obstruction and pancreatitis.
Pulmonary: Ranked among the top five percent in the nation for pulmonary care. Delray Medical Center received five-star ratings for overall pulmonary services and treatment of community-acquired pneumonia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Additional services that received a five-star rating include: Vascular for peripheral vascular bypass surgery and Critical Care for treatment of sepsis.
Delray Medical Center is also a three-time recipient of the HealthGrades Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical ExcellenceTM, receiving the award in 2003, 2004 and 2005.
“Quality patient care is our top priority,” said Mitch Feldman, CEO of Delray Medical Center. “Recognition from an objective, independent source such as HealthGrades validates the efforts our physicians, nurses and staff deliver to the people of our community every day.”
As part of its eighth annual Hospital Quality in America Study, HealthGrades independently analyzed nearly 5,000 hospitals in all 50 states and the District of Columbia for its 2006 ratings, objectively assessing their clinical outcomes and quality. The data utilized in the assessment is licensed from the federal government’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The HealthGrades ratings measure whether patient outcomes for each of more than two dozen procedures and diagnoses are better than expected (5-Star), as expected (3-Star) or worse than expected (1-Star).
“HealthGrades objectively rates hospitals' performance to help consumers make better healthcare choices, and it’s clear that Delray Medical Center continues to provide outstanding care across multiple clinical areas. People along the eastern Florida coast and surrounding areas should feel secure knowing they have top-notch, nationally-recognized care in their own backyard," said Samantha Collier, MD, HealthGrades vice president of medical affairs.
The 2006 HealthGrades ratings for all hospitals nationwide are available, free of charge, on the web at www.healthgrades.com. More than two-and-a-half million unique users and 125 major employers visit the HealthGrades web site every month to access quality information about hospitals, nursing homes and physicians. HealthGrades also provides consumers and payers with detailed assessments of hospitals’ patient safety outcomes, based on indicators developed by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
About Delray Medical Center
Delray Medical Center, part of Tenet South Florida, is a 372-bed acute care hospital located at 5352 Linton Boulevard in Delray Beach. The community-based hospital has been serving the medical and health care needs of south central Palm Beach County for over 20 years. Delray Medical Center, a state-designated Level II Trauma Center for adults and children, offers a broad array of specialized services, ranging from acute care to rehabilitation, and psychiatric services to outpatient care. For three consecutive years, Delray Medical Center has bee a recipient of the Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence by HealthGrades, a leading national health care quality group. In 2005 and for the fourth year in succession, Delray Medical Center was listed as one of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals by Solucient, a leading healthcare information company. The hospital was also honored with the prestigious Tenet Circle of Excellence award in 2005 for outstanding performance. Delray Medical Center is fully accredited by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the nation’s oldest and largest hospital accreditation agency. To learn more about Delray Medical Center, visit www.delraymedicalctr.com.
About HealthGrades
HealthGrades (Nasdaq:HGRD) is the leading healthcare ratings company, providing ratings and profiles of hospitals, nursing homes and physicians to consumers, corporations, health plans and hospitals. Millions of consumers and hundreds of the nation’s largest employers, health plans and hospitals rely on HealthGrades’ independent ratings to make healthcare decisions based on the quality of care. More information on the company can be found at http://www.healthgrades.com.
###