Good Samaritan Hospital Among Top 5 Percent In Nation For Emergency Medicine

Online, March 19, 2012 (Newswire.com) - Good Samaritan Hospital is among the top five percent in the nation for emergency medicine according to a report released today by HealthGrades, the leading provider of information to help consumers make an informed decision about a physician or hospital.

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.

"The dedication and commitment to saving lives and providing quality care that the Emergency Department demonstrates everyday is commendable and has been once again recognized nationally," stated Mark Shaker, president and CEO of Good Samaritan Hospital. "Good Sam's highly skilled Emergency Department staff has created an emergency medicine environment that is efficient and focused on quality."

"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% 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.