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HealthGrades: IVCH Among Nation’s Best for Joint Replacement
According to the Tenth Annual HealthGrades Hospital Quality in America Study issued in October, Illinois Valley Community Hospital ranks among the top 10% in the nation for joint replacement for the second year in a row. The study, the largest of its kind, analyzed patient outcomes at virtually all of the nation's 5,000 hospitals over the years 2004, 2005 and 2006. As a result of this study, Illinois Valley Community Hospital has been awarded the HealthGrades Joint Replacement Excellence Award ™ for 2007 and 2008.
"We are very honored to receive this prestigious award for quality of care," said Monica Gustafson, IVCH interim administrator. "It validates that IVCH is truly the leader in orthopedic surgery in the Illinois Valley. In fact, IVCH is among the top five hospitals in Illinois to be recognized for this high quality award."
Gustafson further recognized orthopedic surgeons Dr. Peter Meier and Dr. Robert Mitchell for leading the way in joint replacement. "Along with the nursing and support staff, our orthopedists are the best in the area," said Gustafson.
The Tenth Annual HealthGrades Hospital Quality in America Study identifies key trends in the quality of care provided by approximately 5,000 hospitals nationwide. HealthGrades researchers analyzed Medicare discharges from virtually every U.S. hospital between 2004 and 2006. Risk-adjusted mortality and complication rates were calculated and hospitals were assigned a 1-star (poor), 3-star (as expected), or 5-star (best) quality rating for 28 diagnoses and procedures from heart failure to hip replacement to pneumonia.
The study also found that Illinois Community Valley Hospital is:
- Five Star Rated for Knee Replacement for the second year in a row.
- Five Star Rated for Hip Replacement for the third year in a row.
- Five Star Rated for Hip Fracture Repair for the fourth year in a row.
Based on the study, HealthGrades has made available its 2008 quality ratings for virtually every hospital in the country at www.healthgrades.com, a website designed to help individuals research and compare local healthcare providers.
"Our research shows that while the overall quality of hospital care in America is improving, the gap between the best-performing hospitals and the worst persists," said Dr. Samantha Collier, HealthGrades’ chief medical officer and author of the study. "This persistent gap makes it imperative that anyone planning to be admitted to a hospital do their homework and seek out highly rated facilities."
Peru resident Joseph Windy had knee replacement surgery at IVCH earlier this year when Dr. Meier replaced both of his knees using a new custom-fit surgical procedure. "I can walk normally now without pain," said Windy, a retired shipping clerk.
Among the study’s key findings:
- Gaps persist between the "best" and the "worst" hospitals across all procedures and conditions studied. Five-star rated hospitals had statistically significantly lower risk-adjusted mortality across all three years studied.
- Across all procedures and conditions studied, there was an approximate 71 percent lower chance of dying in a 5-star rated hospital compared to a 1-star rated hospital.
- Across all procedures and conditions studied, there was an approximate 52 percent lower chance of dying in a 5-star rated hospital compared to the U.S. hospital average.
The 2008 HealthGrades ratings for all hospitals nationwide are available, free of charge, on the organization’s award-winning consumer website, located at www.healthgrades.com. More than three million individuals and employees of some of the nation’s largest employers and health plans visit HealthGrades each 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.
