St. LukeÂ’s Medical Center Named One of NationÂ’s 100 Top Orthopedic Hospitals
(PRWEB) February 23, 2000
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Meridell Sloterbeek
(602) 251-8156
PHOENIX, Arizona – February 17, 2000 – St. Luke’s Medical Center, Phoenix, has been recognized by HCIA Inc., a leading healthcare information company, as a recipient of the 1999 100 Top Orthopedic Hospitals Award.
The hospital was recognized for its excellence in hip replacement surgery. St LukeÂ’s orthopedic surgeons performed more than 200 hip replacements during the base year of the study. In addition, they performed revisions to more than 100 hip replacements which had originally been performed utilizing earlier techniques or at other facilities.
100 Top Hospitals: Orthopedic Benchmarks for Success, conducted by HCIA, is a purely objective study, based on quantitative data that are consistent and complete across the United States. This methodology ensures that the focus is on statistical, rather than anecdotal, evidence of top performance. The measures for the study stress quality of care, efficiency of operations and sustainability of overall performance.
“Our study shows clearly that the winners of the 100 Top Hospitals Orthopedic award are providing orthopedic care with significantly fewer complications and significantly fewer deaths than other hospitals,” said Jean Chenoweth, Senior Vice President, HCIA Inc.
“For consumers, our study also provides clear guidance: Orthopedic services, such as those in the 100 Top Orthopedic Hospitals, that treat large numbers of patients tend to produce better results than programs that treat small numbers of patients and/or which are trying to grow at a very fast pace.”
This yearÂ’s ranking is based on the following six measures of clinical quality practices, operations and financial management:
Mortality rate, risk-adjusted for severity of illness
Complications rate, risk-adjusted for severity of illness
Count of unique patients receiving orthopedic services
Average length of stay at the hospital, adjusted for illness
Cost per patient, adjusted for illness severity and local wage differences
Percentage of patients who came from, and were discharged to, home
“St. Luke’s performance, especially relating to our low incidence of complications, reflects the hard work and dedication of our medical staff and employees,” said Meridell Sloterbeek, COO and interim CEO of St. Luke’s Medical Center.
“St. Luke’s has long been recognized by the medical community as a provider of excellent orthopedic services and it is gratifying to know we are among the select group recognized in this study for excellence in hip replacement procedures,” Sloterbeek continued.
Anthony K. Hedley, M. D., F. R.C. S. (Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons), Chairman of St. Luke’s Department of Orthopedics and President of the Institute for Bone and Joint Disorders said, “I have been associated with St. Luke’s Hospital for 18 years. In the course of that time, St. Luke’s has maintained a constant standard of excellence in orthopedic surgery. We have consistently been leaders in the volume of elective orthopedic surgery done in the Valley.
“St. Luke’s has developed an international reputation,” adds Hedley, “as being one of the preeminent joint replacement hospitals. Our surgeons performed more than 800 joint replacements last year. The hospital staff brings a high level of expertise and is well supported by St. Luke’s administration and staff. This has been an excellent cooperative venture and continues to grow.”
Theodore P. Firestone, M. D., F. A.C. S. (Fellow of the American College of Surgeons), Vice Chairman of St. Luke’s Department of Orthopedics, who, along with Hedley, performs the majority of hip procedures at St. Luke’s said, Even though Dr. Hedley and I perform a large volume of complex revision surgeries, we’ve kept our complication rate to a minimum.”
The other current medical staff orthopedic surgeons whose procedures contributed to St. LukeÂ’s recognition by the Top 100 study include Dr. Neal Rockowitz, Dr. Bruce Mallin, Dr. Harry Sirounian, Dr. Charles Creasman, Dr. Dana Seltzer, Dr. Alexander McLaren, Dr. Janet Whirlow, Dr. Robert White, Dr. Anthony Yeung, Dr. Karl Hamson, Dr. Jeff Martin and Dr. Charles Gauntt.
A summary version of the study, 100 Top Hospitals: Orthopedic Benchmarks for Success, can be found on HCIAÂ’s 100 Top Hospitals web site (100tophospitals. com).
HCIA Inc. collects, manages and distributes comparative health information worldwide. ItÂ’s customers manufacture, purchase and/or deliver healthcare products and services. By combining the industryÂ’s leading databases, methodologies and analytic services, HCIA creates information assets that help customers manage healthcare costs and improve patient care.
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