Susquehanna Health’s Williamsport Hospital Among Top Five Percent in the Nation for Patient Safety, According to HealthGrades — Study Finds Top-Performing Hospitals have 43 Percent Lower Incidence Rate of Medical Errors Compared with Poorest Performers.

Susquehanna Health’s Williamsport Hospital & Medical Center announced Thursday, June 26, 2008 that it has been named a 2008 Distinguished Hospital for Patient Safety™, as part of an independent study by HealthGrades, the nation’s leading healthcare ratings company.

This distinction reflects Williamsport Hospital & Medical Center’s performance among the top five percent nationally for patient safety outcomes, according to HealthGrades fifth annual Patient Safety in American Hospitals Study, the largest of its kind. The Williamsport Hospital & Medical Center is one of only 249 hospitals out of nearly 5,000 to receive this recognition.

“This award reflects the outstanding commitment and attention to detail by our physicians and employee service partners in an area of critical importance that affects all of our patients–Patient Safety. Residents of our region can take confidence in our clinical excellence as this distinguished award ranks Susquehanna Health as one of the best in the nation. It is an honor to be grouped with leading healthcare institutions who also received this recognition,” says Steven P. Johnson, President & CEO of Susquehanna Health.

HealthGrades' analysis of 41 million Medicare patient records found that patients treated at top-performing hospitals had, on average, a 43-percent lower chance of experiencing one or more medical errors compared to the poorest-performing hospitals. If all U.S. hospitals had performed at the level of HealthGrades 2008 Distinguished Hospitals for Patient Safety™, approximately 220,106 patient safety incidents and 37,214 Medicare deaths could have been avoided while saving the U.S. approximately $2.0 billion during 2004 to 2006.

“This award demonstrates that we are leading the way to reduce costly errors and improve patient care,” says William McCauley, M.D., President of the City Medical Staff. “As a critical care physician, I have confidence working with an organization that is committed to ensuring patients receive the safest possible medical care.”

The fifth annual HealthGrades Patient Safety in American Hospitals Study applies methodology developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to identify the incident rates of 13 patient safety indicators among Medicare patients at virtually all of the nation's nearly 5,000 nonfederal hospitals. Additionally, HealthGrades applied its methodology to identify the best-performing hospitals, or Distinguished Hospitals for Patient Safety™, which represent the top five percent of all U.S. hospitals.

In addition to being recognized for outstanding patient safety, Williamsport Hospital & Medical Center also announced today that it has been recognized as being #1 in Spine Surgery in Pennsylvania and among the top 5% in the nation, according to the Tenth Annual HealthGrades Hospital Quality in America Study. This study analyzed patient outcomes at virtually all of the nation's 5,000 hospitals over the years 2004, 2005 and 2006. Williamsport Hospital & Medical Center is also recognized with five star (out of five) ratings in the following areas:

• Back and Neck Surgery (5 years in a row).
• Spinal Fusion.
• Interventional Heart Procedures (4 years in a row).
• Treatment of Heart Attack.
• Treatment of Irregular Heartbeat.

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 details on both studies, as well as ratings for individual hospitals are posted on HealthGrades' consumer Web site, healthgrades.com.

About HealthGrades

Health Grades, Inc. (Nasdaq: HGRD) is the leading healthcare ratings organization, providing ratings and profiles of hospitals, nursing homes and physicians. Millions of consumers and many of the nation’s largest employers, health plans and hospitals rely on HealthGrades’ independent ratings and decision support resources to make healthcare decisions based on the quality and cost of care. More information on the company can be found at healthgrades.com.