Owensboro Health Named Among Top 5% in Nation for Emergency Medicine

Patients Admitted to Top Hospitals for Emergency Medicine Have 40% Lower Death Rate

Owensboro, KY (Mar. 19, 2012) – A report released by HealthGrades, a leading provider of information to help consumers make an informed decision about a physician or hospital, named Owensboro Health among the top five percent in the nation for emergency medicine. Owensboro Health was one of only three hospitals in Kentucky to receive this award.  In January, Owensboro Health was named a Distinguished Hospital for Clinical Excellence™ for the 4th consecutive year, placing Owensboro Health among the top 5 percent of hospitals nationwide for clinical performance.

The findings are based on an analysis of more than seven million Medicare patient records from 2008 to 2010. HealthGrades Emergency Medicine in American Hospitals report focused on 12 of the most common and life-threatening medical emergencies among that patient population, including heart attack, stroke, pneumonia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD.

“It is imperative that anyone experiencing a medical emergency go directly to the closest hospital, especially in the event of a heart attack or stroke,” said Dr. Arshad Rahim, report author and director of accelerated clinical excellence at HealthGrades. “That said, our findings show the care you receive once admitted to the hospital can also make the difference between life and death. We encourage all patients to educate themselves about the quality of emergency medical providers in their area and to choose a top performing hospital whenever there is a choice.”

Other key findings of the HealthGrades report include:

• Medicare patients treated at hospitals recognized with a HealthGrades Emergency Medicine Excellence Award had, on average, a 41.52 percent lower risk of death compared to patients treated at non-recipient hospitals.
• If all hospitals performed at the level of the Emergency Medicine Excellence hospitals from 2008 through 2010, an additional 170,856 people could have potentially survived their emergency hospitalization.

About HealthGrades

HealthGrades, headquartered in Denver, Colorado, is a leading provider of comprehensive information about physicians and hospitals. More than 200 million consumers use the HealthGrades websites, including HealthGrades.com and BetterMedicine.com, to research, select, and connect with a physician or hospital, and use its comprehensive information about clinical outcomes, patient satisfaction, patient safety, and health conditions to make more informed healthcare decisions and take action. Find more information about our products and services at HealthGrades.com. Follow us on Twitter (@HealthGrades) and Facebook for news and updates. More information on how HealthGrades guides Americans to their best health can be found at www.healthgrades.com.