Two SCL Health Hospitals Named to Healthgrades 2019 America’s 50 Best Hospitals
Lutheran Medical Center and Good Samaritan Medical Center have both achieved the Healthgrades 2019 America’s 50 Best Hospitals Award™. The distinction places these SCL Health Front Range hospitals in the top 1 percent of more than 4,500 hospitals assessed nationwide for consistent, year-over-year superior clinical performance as measured by Healthgrades, the leading online resource for comprehensive information about physicians and hospitals.
”Our highest priority at Lutheran is on quality clinical care and patient safety,” said Grant Wicklund, President and CEO. “Thanks to diligent and consistent effort on the part of everyone, we can take pride in being recognized nationally for meeting high standards of quality. Our focus on innovative programs and technology is paying great dividends in terms of safety for our patients and our staff.”
Lutheran has received this distinction for the second consecutive year; Good Samaritan is new to the list after being among America’s 100 Best Hospitals for the previous four years, and Lutheran achieved the 100 Best Hospitals recognition for the previous five years. The two SCL Health hospitals are the only Colorado hospitals – and in fact the only hospitals in a five-state region (i.e., Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, New Mexico, Utah) – to be recognized in the top 1 percent nationwide.
“We are honored to be recognized for the hard work that each member of the team dedicates to our patients at Good Samaritan,” said Jen Alderfer, President at Good Samaritan. “Quality and safety are at the heart of our work and this award is proof of our ongoing commitment to the individuals we serve.”
From 2015 through 2017, patients treated in hospitals achieving the Healthgrades America’s 50 Best Hospitals award had, on average, a 27.1 percent lower risk of dying than if they were treated in hospitals that did not receive the award, as measured across 19 rated conditions and procedures for which mortality is the outcome.*
And during that same period, if all hospitals performed similarly to those achieving the award, 182,721 lives could potentially have been saved. For example, patients treated for heart attack in hospitals achieving the Healthgrades America's 50 Best Hospitals Award have, on average, a 25.2 percent lower risk of dying than if they were treated in hospitals that did not receive the award.*
“Healthgrades congratulates the recipients of the America’s 50 Best Hospitals Award for their proven commitment to exceptional care,” said Brad Bowman, Chief Medical Officer at Healthgrades. “Our analysis shows that care quality can vary significantly between hospitals, but consumers can use sources like Healthgrades to research and select the best hospital for their care.”
Recipients of the Healthgrades America’s 50 Best Hospitals Award are recognized for overall clinical excellence across a broad spectrum of care. During the 2019 study period (2015 through 2017), these hospitals showed superior performance in clinical outcomes for patients in the Medicare population across at least 21 of 32 most common inpatient conditions and procedures — as measured by objective performance data (risk-adjusted mortality and in-hospital complications).
To learn more about how Healthgrades determines award recipients, and for more information on Healthgrades Quality Solutions, please visit www.healthgrades.com/quality.
*Statistics are based on Healthgrades analysis of MedPAR data for years 2015 through 2017 and represent 3-year estimates for Medicare patients only.
SCL Health is a faith-based, nonprofit healthcare organization dedicated to improving the health of the people and communities we serve. Founded by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth in 1864, our health network provides comprehensive, coordinated care through eight hospitals, more than 180 physician clinics, home health, hospice, mental health, and safety-net services in Colorado and the Montana Wyoming region.