BOCA RATON, Fla. – June 19, 2012 – Boca Raton Regional Hospital is among the top five percent in the nation for excellence in women’s healthcare for the third year in a row, according to a new report released today by HealthGrades, the leading provider of information to help consumers make an informed decision about a physician or hospital. The study evaluated 16 women’s medicine, cardiovascular, and bone and joint health treatments and procedures over the years 2008, 2009 and 2010 using data from the federal Medicare program.
Of the 4,783 acute care hospitals in the nation, Boca Raton Regional Hospital and 175 other hospitals were identified as top performers, receiving the 2012 HealthGrades Women’s Health Excellence Award™.
“We are extremely gratified to see HealthGrades recognize us in such a meaningful way. We have a longstanding tradition for excellence in women’s health and the HealthGrades ranking is a strong validation of our experience and expertise,” says Jerry J. Fedele, President and CEO of Boca Regional.
Participation in the study was not voluntary; all 4,783 of the nation’s acute care hospitals were evaluated by HealthGrades as part of its HealthGrades 2012 Trends in Women’s Health in American Hospitals report.
Boca Raton Regional Hospital and the 175 other recipients of the HealthGrades Women’s Health Excellence Award had, on average, women’s mortality rates that were 42 percent lower than the poorest performers across nine diagnoses and procedures, and complication rates were, on average, 14 percent lower than the poorest performing hospitals across seven procedures.
“In our study HealthGrades noted the rate of surgical intervention for women suffering a heart attack has increased over the years. This is good news, especially for patients who choose care at hospitals that are top performers in women’s healthcare,” said Divya Cantor, MD, MBA, HealthGrades Senior Physician Consultant and author of the study. “Our goal is to provide current, independent data on clinical outcomes to help prospective patients make informed decisions about their providers while also identifying hospitals that are setting national benchmarks to which other hospitals can aspire.”
If all of the nation’s hospitals had patient outcomes among women that are at the level of those receiving the HealthGrades award, 39,450 women could have potentially survived their hospitalization and 19,062 women could have potentially avoided a major in-hospital complication.
The HealthGrades study examined hospitalization records from the MedPAR database in all 50 states, for the years 2008 through 2010. The following procedures and treatments were analyzed: heart attack, congestive heart failure, pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, stroke, coronary bypass surgery, peripheral vascular bypass, coronary interventional procedures, resection/replacement of abdominal aorta, carotid surgery and valve replacement, total knee and total hip replacement surgeries, spinal surgeries and hip fracture repair.
To be eligible for the HealthGrades award, hospitals must have met volume requirements in stroke and either coronary bypass or valve replacements, met the volume requirements in at least six additional cohorts of the 16 evaluated, and have transferred out less than 10 percent of stroke patients. Volume requirements are a minimum of 30 female discharges over the three years, with at least five in the most recent year for the cohort.
About Boca Raton Regional Hospital – Medicine. Redefined.
Born out of community need in 1967, Boca Raton Regional Hospital is an advanced, tertiary medical center (www.brrh.com) with 400 beds and more than 800 primary and specialty physicians on staff. The Hospital is a recognized leader in oncology, cardiovascular disease and surgery, minimally invasive surgery, orthopedics, women’s health and emergency medicine, all of which offer state-of-the-art diagnostic and imaging capabilities. The Hospital is a designated Comprehensive Stroke Center by the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA).
Boca Raton Regional Hospital is the recipient of the 2012 Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical ExcellenceTM by HealthGrades for the eighth year in a row. Only 40 of the nation’s 5,000 hospitals have earned such a consecutive distinction. The Hospital is also the recipient of the 2012 Best 100 Hospitals in the Nation for: Cardiac Care, Stroke Care, Gastrointestinal Care, General Surgery and Prostatectomy and is ranked #1 in state rankings for Gastrointestinal Medical Treatment and Overall Gastrointestinal Treatment by HealthGrades for 2012.
Boca Raton Regional Hospital is also recognized in U.S. News Media & World Report’s 2011 – 2012 Best Hospitals listing as a top ranked hospital in the South Florida metropolitan area.