January 1, 2007 | More News

Making the Grade

For the third straight year, Winchester Medical Center has received the Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence™ from HealthGrades, a national quality ratings firm that analyzes the quality of care at more than 5,000 hospitals nationwide. The Distinguished Hospital Award recognizes those hospitals that have outperformed their peers in a number of clinical outcomes, and places WMC in the top 10% of all hospitals in the nation for clinical performance and outcomes.

In addition, the Heart & Vascular Center at Winchester Medical Center has received the 2007 HealthGrades Best in the Nation Award^TM and Winchester Medical Center is ranked in the top 10% nationally and among the top hospitals in Virginia in:

• Pulmonary Services
• Critical Care
• General Surgery
• Vascular Services
• Overall Orthopedic Services
• Joint Replacement Surgery
• Heart Surgery
• Cardiac Services

As part of the study, HealthGrades independently and objectively rates the quality of care for nearly every hospital in the country, for each of twenty-eight procedures and diagnoses – from bypass surgery to knee replacement to treatment for a heart attack. A five-star rating indicates that the hospital has below-average mortality or complication rates for that particular procedure. Three stars indicate the care is “as expected,” and one star indicates that the care is among the poorest in the nation, with above-average mortality or complication rates. The star ratings are based on an analysis of tens of millions of patient claims data over a three-year period that hospitals submit to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, as well outcomes data submitted to state governments. The records are “risk adjusted,” meaning that hospitals taking sicker patients are compared on equal footing with other hospitals.

 “This is a remarkable achievement,” confirms Cynthia Rawlinson, VH Corporate Director of Performance Improvement. “It is a true acknowledgement of the quality of patient care and patient safety which everyone at WMC contributes to on a daily basis. Without the commitment, dedication and collective efforts of our excellent medical staff, employees, management and support of the Board, this recognition would not be possible,” she notes, adding that these awards also demonstrate medical center’s significant value to the community in providing safe, quality care.