Study Finds Womens Care at Penrose-St. Francis Health Services in the Top Five Percent

April 20, 2010

Hospital Receives HealthGrades Womens Health Excellence Award

We're extremely honored to be recognized for our excellent womens health care," said Margaret Sabin, president and Chief Executive Officer for Penrose-St. Francis. We know that womens health care is unique and have formed a group of female physicians, nurses, health educators and community leaders to help Penrose-St. Francis frame the vision that will ensure women in Southern Colorado receive the absolute best health care available. Excellence in womens health at Penrose-St. Francis has only just begun."

Of the 5,000 hospitals that met minimum volume thresholds and other criteria, Penrose and 165 other hospitals were identified as top performers, receiving the 2010/2011 HealthGrades Womens Health Excellence Award.

Participation in the study was not voluntary; all 5,000 of the nations nonfederal hospitals were evaluated by HealthGrades as part of the HealthGrades Seventh Annual Womens Health in American Hospitals Study.

Penrose St. Francis and other recipients of the HealthGrades Womens Health Excellence Award had, on average, womens mortality rates that were 41 percent lower than the poorest performers and complication rates were, on average, 19percent lower than the poorest performing hospitals.

There is clearly a wide disparity in the quality of care for women among top-performing hospitals and all others," said Rick May, MD, a vice president with HealthGrades and one of the studys authors. The goal of this analysis is to not only put sound data in the hands of prospective patients, but also to identify top-performing hospitals who are setting national benchmarks for the treatment of women to which other hospitals can aspire."

Hospitals receiving the HealthGrades award - those that are top 5 percent in the nation -- improved their mortality rates among women by 15 percent over the three years studied. On average, all other hospitals improved by 12 percent.

If all of the nations hospitals had patient outcomes among women that at the level of those receiving the HealthGrades award, 16,863 women could have potentially survived their hospitalization and 4,735 women could have potentially avoided a major in-hospital complication.

The HealthGrades study examined nearly 7 million hospitalization records from the federal Medicare database in all 50 states, cover the years 2006 through 2008. The following procedures and treatments were analyzed: heart attack, congestive heart failure, pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, stroke, coronary bypass surgery, peripheral vascular bypass, coronary interventional procedures, resection/replacement of abdominal aorta, carotid surgery, and valve replacement; total knee and total hip replacement surgeries, spinal surgeries, and hip fracture repair.

To be eligible for the HealthGrades Award, hospitals must have met volume requirements in stroke and either coronary bypass or valve replacements; met the volume requirements in at least six additional cohorts of the 16 evaluated; and have transferred out less than 10 percent of stroke patients. Volume requirements are a minimum of 30 female discharges over the three years, with at least five in the most recent year for the cohort.

The HealthGrades Seventh Annual Womens Health in American Hospitals. Study, including the methodology, can be found at http://www.healthgrades.com.

About Penrose-St. Francis Health Services:
Penrose-St. Francis Health Services is a full-service, 522-bed acute care facility offering a full complement of emergency, medical and surgical services. Penrose-St. Francis was named was of Americas 50 Best Hospitals" for 2008, 2009 and 2010 by HealthGrades, the only recipient in Colorado. Penrose-St. Francis is part of Centura Health, Colorados largest hospital and health care network delivering advanced care to more than half a million people each year, across 12 hospitals, seven senior living communities, medical clinics, Flight For Life and home care and hospice services. Penrose-St. Francis and Centura's strength lies in the ability to offer a team of connected networks and shared resources to deliver accessible, reliable and cost-effective health care across the state. For more information about Penrose-St. Francis Health Services, visit www.penrosestfrancis.org or the Media Room at http://psf.mediaroom.com/.