EvergreenHealth named one of America's 100 Best Hospitals in three specialty areas

EvergreenHealth today announced it has earned several distinctions for 2014 across many of the health care system's specialties from Healthgrades, the nation's leading independent provider of information to help consumers make informed decisions about a physician or hospital.

Among the 2014 accolades, Healthgrades named EvergreenHealth one of "America's 100 Best Hospitals" in three specialty areas—pulmonary care, gastrointestinal care and general surgery. This places EvergreenHealth among the top 5 percent of hospitals in the nation for clinical excellence in each of those specialties.

To determine the rankings, Healthgrades 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. The ranking were released today in American Hospital Quality Outcomes 2014: Healthgrades Report to the Nation.

"Delivering the highest level of quality care and service to our patients and their families is at the very heart of everything we do," said EvergreenHealth CEO Robert Malte. "Recognitions like this underscore that commitment to our community, and it's the hard work of each physician, provider, nurse, staff person and volunteer that helps us achieve excellence in these and many other specialties and practices across the organization."

In addition, EvergreenHealth is also among the top 10 percent of hospitals in the nation for the treatment of stroke for the fifth consecutive year. EvergreenHealth's stroke care has earned an Excellence Award and 5-star rating from Healthgrades each year since 2010. A 5-star rating indicates the hospital consistently helps patients achieve better-than-expected outcomes. 

Other 2014 5-star rankings, which place EvergreenHealth in the top 15 percent of hospitals in the nation, include recognition for treatment of heart failure, pneumonia and sepsis; and for gastrointestinal care such as treatment of GI bleed and pancreatitis and for both colorectal surgery and appendectomy procedures.   

According to Healthgrades, if all hospitals had performed similarly from 2010 to 2012 to hospitals receiving 5 stars, on average 234,252 lives could potentially have been saved and 157,418 complications could potentially have been avoided.  

EvergreenHealth strategic partner Virginia Mason Medical Center was also recognized for quality care by Healthgrades, earning both the "America's 100 Best Hospitals" designation and Excellence Awards for cardiac care, pulmonary care, gastrointestinal care, critical care and general surgery, in addition to an Excellence Award for stroke care.