Parma Hospital achieves five-star ratings for orthopedics
HealthGrades’ annual study of hospital quality is most comprehensive nationwide

Parma Community General Hospital has received five-star ratings for joint replacement, total knee replacement and hip fracture repair, by HealthGrades, the leading independent healthcare ratings company.

As part of the nation’s most comprehensive, independent analysis of hospital quality, HealthGrades found that patients treated at five-star rated hospitals for nine common procedures are 47 percent less likely to experience a major complication, such as post-operative infections or heart conditions, which can lengthen their hospital stay and increase costs. According to the study, if all Medicare patients had been treated at a top-performing hospital compared to the lowest-performing hospitals during 2005-07, more than 123,000 major complications potentially could have been avoided.

Parma Hospital participates in the Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP), developed by Joint Commission and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services as part of Core Measures, a consensus-based process for identifying best practices and outcomes in patient care. The data is shared on an ongoing basis with other committees, physician groups, nursing staff, and board members. Based on the Midas+ National Comparative Data Base for the first quarter of 2008, Parma Hospital’s orthopedic surgeons exceed that of the national average in ten related measures. For the second quarter of 2008, the Hospital is higher in seven out of 10 measures. This dedication results in the most optimal surgery with the fastest and safest recovery.

“Parma Hospital’s consistent recognition from HealthGrades for outcomes that exceed national averages are proof that providing personalized, specialized care matters,” said Parma Hospital President & CEO Patricia A. Ruflin, who was credentialed as a Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ). “The orthopedic physicians, nursing, and pharmacy staff at Parma Hospital have repeatedly demonstrated their commitment to improved standards and the best outcomes for their patients.”

In 2008, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the federal agency that funds medical and surgical care for the majority of hospital patients, announced that it would discontinue payments for many major in-hospital complications, including surgery on the wrong body part and post-operative infection or disability due to a contaminated implantation device.

In developing the 2009 healthcare quality ratings released in October, HealthGrades analyzed more than 41 million Medicare hospitalization records from 2005-2007 at the nation’s approximately 5,000 non-federal hospitals.

Hospitals with outcomes that are above average to a statistically significant degree receive a five-star rating. Hospitals with average outcomes receive a three-star rating, and hospitals with outcomes that are below average receive a one-star rating. Because no two hospitals or their patients’ risk profiles are alike, HealthGrades employs extensive risk-adjustment algorithms to ensure that it is making analogous comparisons.

On its Web site, www.healthgrades.com, HealthGrades offers consumers free quality ratings of 27 procedures and treatments. The Web site is designed so that consumers can easily compare patient outcomes at their local hospitals for procedures ranging from total knee surgery to cardiac bypass surgery. Each hospital receives a star rating based on its patient outcomes in terms of mortality or complication rates for each procedure or treatment. For example, complications can include hospital-acquired infections, heart and lung difficulties during or after surgery, and excessive bleeding.

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