Other Helpful Listings

AHRQ - CDAD Infections in US Hospitals, April 2008 (pdf)

Statistical Brief #50 shows rapid and steep increase in CDAD (Clostridium Difficile-Associated Disease) in hospitals between 2001 and 2005. Detailed analysis of 2005 shows two-thirds were to people ages 65 plus. Highest rates in the northeast. Survival rates show 9.5 percent died (30% mortality among those with colectomy surgery). Over 60% came through the ER. Length of stay almost 13 days. CDAD infections are regarded as healthcare-associated infection (HAI), but could have been community-acquired. Technical language; report by AHRQ using HCUP data; pub. 2008

AHRQ - MRSA Infections in US Hospitals, July 2007  

Statistical Brief #35 shows a 27.5% increase in MRSA infections (Methicillin-Resistant Staph Aureus) in hospitals between 2004 and 2005. Detailed analysis of 2004 showed about half were to people ages 18 to 64. Rates were higher for men, those in the South, patients arriving in the ER or transferred from another hospital or nursing home, and those covered by Medicare. Estimated costs were $14,000 per case, and 10 day length of stay, about double what patients without MRSA infections experienced. Survival rates were lower too, with in-hospital mortality (death) rate of 4.7% compared to 2.1% for those without infections. MRSA infections could have originated in the hospital, or have been community-acquired

America's 50 Best Hospitals list - Feb. 2009 (pdf)

HealthGrades' choice for the top 50 hospitals in the US, based on sustained clinical quality for Medicare patients over a 9-year period through 2007. They examined complication rates and survival rates for 26 diagnoses (such as heart failure, COPD, pneumonia and stroke) or surgical procedures (such as hip or knee replacement, gall bladder removal, bowel obstruction, valve surgery, and heart bypass) and chose the highest-rated hospitals from their analysis

California: www.CalHospitalCompare.org - Hospital Quality Ratings & Patient Satisfaction  

CA hospital quality ratings for heart attack, heart failure, heart bypass surgery (including mortality/ survival rate), pneumonia, ICU mortality rate, preventing surgical infections & complications, maternity care (e.g. breast-feeding and c-sections), and patient opinion ratings. Most data from 2008 to 2009, but some date to 2003. Compare 5 hospitals at once to find Superior Hospitals. Consumers may be surprised at the number of times they see a Poor performance rating. When viewing hospital report, click on View All, or you'll miss half the information. Web site by the California HealthCare Foundation (CHCF) in partnership with UCSF and CHART

Colorado Hospital Quality Ratings, Report Card

Colorado Hospital Association website shows hospital-specific data on mortality (survival rates) and volume. Mortality Measures show survival rate information for heart care (heart failure, PTCA angioplasty, heart attack AMI, or cardiac bypass CABG), pneumonia, stroke, neck artery surgery (CEA) hip replacement, hip fracture, bleeding stomach (GI), or craniotomy. Compare CO hospitals on Patient Safety bedsores (pressure sores/ decubitus ulcer), post-surgical blood clots (DVT, PE), and sepsis (bloodstream infections). Volumes for four procedures (cardiac bypass, PTCA, carotid endarterectomy, and AAA [abdominal aortic aneurysm]) where quality has been associated with higher volumes also shown, although the desired volume levels are not given. Risk-adjusted 2007 data, all patients

Florida Inpatient Hospital Ratings, Average Charges, Survival Rates, Readmissions  

Search feature, mortality (survival rates), complication rates, volume, and average charges (price range), 2007-2008 data. (We couldn't find the readmission rates.) All age groups (not just Medicare), extensive set of health conditions/diseases, and the ability to rank order by top hospitals at the head of the list. Click on the hospital name to see actual risk-adjusted mortality rates for heart attack, stroke, heart failure (CHF), GI hemorrhage, hip fracture, hip replacement, pneumonia, AAA repair, heart bypass, craniotomy, surgery to remove the pancreas, or esophageal resection. Compare hospitals on infections, iatrogenic pneumothorax, and post-op sepsis. Hysterectomy listed under Women's Health instead of Surgery. FloridaHealthFinder.gov

Georgia Hospitals - Compare Hospital Quality Ratings

Georgia Hospital Association's GA Hospital Quality Check, Insights, compares hospitals on heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia measures (similar to HospitalCompare), and also adds Neonatal Mortality and measures related to pregnancy. Graphs may not always load properly for AOL users and Internet Explorer users. Data from 2008

HealthGrades - Hospital Awards for Patient Safety Excellence, 2009 (pdf)  

List of top 15% of hospitals (242 hospitals) distinguished for their Medicare patient safety, using 2005 to 2007 data. Report highlights the national volume of hospital patient safety incidents (such as decubitus ulcer [bedsores], failure to rescue, selected infections, and post-op pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis [DVT], respiratory failure or sepsis). List of 2009 Patient Safety Excellence Award (TM) Recipients - 112 teaching hospitals, and 130 non-teaching hospitals on page 9. Sixth annual study released April 2009 by HealthGrades.

HealthGrades Distinguished Hospitals for Clinical Excellence, 2010 (pdf)  

Eighth annual report (Jan 2010) identifies 269 top-rated distinguished hospitals evaluated using Medicare data from 2006 to 2008. Mortality results (survival rates) and complication rates have been factored in for 26 procedures and diagnoses such as: heart bypass surgery, angioplasty & stent, heart attack, heart failure, valve replacement, back & neck surgery, COPD, gall bladder, hip fracture, hip replacement, knee replacement, pneumonia, prostatectomy, stroke, bowel obstruction, GI bleed, pancreatitis, diabetes hospitalization, pulmonary embolism & sepsis. Hospital lists start on page 13; 37-page document

Hospital Comparison Tool - Hospital Ratings & Cost Rankings (all states)  

Blue Cross & Blue Shield of New Mexico makes this Hospital Comparison Tool from HealthShare (WebMD) available to compare hospital care ANYWHERE in the country, mostly using Medicare data. No registration required. Gives results according to the importance you give to survival, complication rates, costs, volume and length of stay. Provides rankings, and crosses state lines when doing the search. Considerable detail on different types of complications if you keep delving deeper. Disease categories include Cancer, GI (e.g., appendectomy, colon or bowel surgery, gall bladder, hernia repair, gastric bypass), gynecology (e.g. hysterectomy), stroke (under head & neck), heart (e.g. attack, failure, angioplasty, cardiac bypass, catheterization, defibrillator, pacemaker, valve), lungs (e.g. pneumonia, COPD), medical, mother & baby (maternity, delivery for selected states only), orthopedic (e.g. hip or knee replacement), pediatric, prostatectomy, plastic/cosmetic surgery and heart, kidney, lung or liver transplants. Caution: it always assumes higher volume is preferred, which may not be valid. Patient satisfaction scores from the federal HospitalCompare tool shown, without disclosing dates.

Illinois Hospital and Ambulatory Surgery Center Ratings and Prices (IDPH)

Compare IL hospitals on heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia, surgical infection prevention, knee arthroscopy, cardiac surgery, safety measures, infection rates, some survival information, patient satisfaction, more. See volume and 2008 median charges (closest you'll get to average cost) for selected types of inpatients (e.g. birth, c-section, appendectomy, COPD), and outpatients at ambulatory surgery centers (such as bunionectomy, hernia repair, colonoscopy, lens, lumpectomy, tonsillectomy). May get a full report for one hospital at a time (does not print correctly), or one measure at a time for multiple hospitals side-by-side, with state averages. Uses the dreaded pull-down menu, old 2008 prices and scores (Hospital Compare will have more recent information for some items); Infection rates use 2009 data. Hospital Report Card by IL Dept. of Public Health (IDPH) for all IL cities incl. Chicago area, Peoria, Rockford, Springfield, Champaign. New Nov. 2009

Iowa Hospital Quality, Safety and Satisfaction Ratings 2008 (pdf)  

Compare Iowa hospitals on survival rates (mortality info) for heart bypass, PTCA angioplasty, carotid endarterectomy angioplasty (CEA), pneumonia, hip replacement surgery and more. Use the safety ratings on bedsores, surgical postop complications, infections, birth trauma, deaths in patients who were unlikely to die during hospitalization, and others to screen for potential hospital issues. Compare heart attack and heart failure care, pneumonia care and surgical infection prevention rates; compare patient satisfaction (p. 137 of 164 pages). IA rates are compared with risk-adjusted national averages and in some cases, with the top 10% in the US. 2008 Iowa Report by the Iowa Healthcare Collaborative (based in Des Moines, IA) uses 2007 data; side-by-side quality comparisons start on page 19

Leapfrog - Minimum Volume Recommendations (Evidence-based Hospital Referral pdf)  

The Leapfrog Group has Evidence-Based Hospital Referral Safety Standards that include recommended volumes for certain procedures. They include minimum annual hospital volumes as follows: 450 heart bypass procedures per year (CABG), 400 Percutaneous coronary intervention procedures (PCI angioplasty), 120 aortic valve replacement, 50 abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (AAA), 11 pancreatic resections, 13 esophagectomy per hospital, and an average daily census of at least 15 babies in neonatal intensive care (NICU). Bariatric (weight loss) surgery has a recommended hospital volume above 125 and more than 50 cases per surgeon annually. Read about the specifics in this two-page fact sheet, then go to the Hospital Quality Ratings category, and check the Leapfrog data for information on your local hospitals. Updated 2008

Massachusetts Hospital Quality, Cost, Surgeon Volume Information (mass.gov)

Massachusetts Health and Human Services department reports quality ratings, cost comparisons, volume and in some cases inpatient survival rates (mortality indicators). Nearly 50 conditions and procedures covered, including inpatient gall bladder removal surgery, hip fracture, hip and knee replacement, stroke, GI hemorrhage, heart attack, heart failure, CABG, PCI, Pneumonia, Obstetrics and Maternity care, including cesarean section and VBAC, prostatectomy, gastric bypass and other digestive procedures, AAA repair and carotid endarterectomy. In some cases, individual surgeons are named (e.g. physicians who did at least 40 radical prostatectomy operations in a year, or how many knee replacements by orthopedic surgeons) Uses FY2005 volumes and FY2004 cost data. Site is relatively user-friendly, but is becoming outdated. Information varies by procedure. Read closely to see if it's Medicare-only or all types of patients

Michigan - Compare Hospitals in SE Michigan  

The Greater Detroit Area Health Council has teamed up with WebMD to provide a 7-county version similar to Medscape/WebMD's other national tools and the CMS Hospital Compare tool, to create a Health Care Performance Report. Compare MI hospitals (side-by-side) for heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia, surgical infection prevention, Medicare mortality (survival rate) for heart attack, CABG and PCI; some safety measures and volume. Includes Detroit, Ann Arbor, Pontiac and counties: Wayne, Washtenaw, Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, and St. Clair. Details provided when you click on the hospital's name and scroll for full report. Data from 2006 and 2007

Nevada Hospital Ratings and Patient Satisfaction Scores

Nevada Hospital Association shows NV hospitals' performance ratings on Heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia and surgical infection prevention, plus patient opinion ratings. Shows 2008-2009 data for same hospital performance measures as CMS HospitalCompare website (no composite scores). Consumers may view all hospitals in the state side-by-side

New Jersey 2009 Hospital Performance Report Card - heart, pneumonia, surgical infections

Guide for comparing NJ hospitals on Heart Attacks, Heart Failure, Pneumonia, and Surgical Infection Prevention prepared by the NJ Department of Health and Senior Services. Individual hospitals' overall quality of performance in 2008 ranged from 81% to 100%. Top 10% hospitals are shown. Details are available including mortality rates for heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia, stroke, and CABG. Patient Safety Indicators use 2007 data. Easy to use. Released Oct. 2009

New York and New Jersey 2008 HMO and Hospital Report Card (nyshaf.org)  

Compare cost and quality ratings for HMOs such as Aetna, AmeriHealth, Blue Choice, CDPHP, CIGNA, Community, Empire, GHI, Health Net, HIP, Independent, MVP, Oxford, Preferred Care, United & Univera side-by-side in NY and NJ, for diabetes, asthma, postpartum care, some cancer care, mental health, antibiotic use for children, low back pain care, Board-certified physicians, monthly health insurance premiums, overall patient satisfaction experience & more. Hospital quality comparisons on heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia and surgical infections also provided for NY hospitals. Inpatient volumes, average length of stay and average price (charges) provided for appendectomy, asthma, maternity (incl. newborn & c-section delivery), chest pain, depressive neuroses, diabetes, gall bladder surgery, heart failure, hip replacement, hysterectomy, stroke, cardiac procedures, pneumonia, and COPD. Some survival ratings. Impressive list of measures, too numerous to mention. Health Care Report Card prepared by the NYS Health Accountability Foundation - a partnership of the NY Business Group on Health and IPRO (the QIO). Dates of data vary; HMO premiums are supposed to be current to the month

New York State 2009 Honor Roll for Inpatient Hospital Care  

List shows NY hospitals with 3 stars with the best inpatient quality ratings - whose risk-adjusted mortality (death) rates in 2007 were statistically significantly lower than the state average (better survival rates). Conditions include congestive heart failure survival, heart attack survival, postoperative pulmonary embolism, DVT, hematoma, or sepsis, stroke survival, pneumonia survival, hip fracture survival, GI hemorrhage, craniotomy survival, PTCA, iatrogenic pneumothorax, accidental puncture. Prepared by the Niagra Health Quality Coalition

New York State 2009 Hospital Report Card (SM)

Compare hospitals in Central NY, Finger Lakes, Mid-Hudson, Nassau-Suffolk, New York City, Northeast, and Western regions for survival rates: AAA, carotid endarterectomy, CABG, craniotomy, esophageal resection, pancreas removal, PTCA and pediatric heart surgery, hip replacement & hip fracture death rates, heart attack, heart failure, stroke, pneumonia and GI Hemorrhage survival. Patient safety performance on hospital infections, collapsed lung, postop pulmonary embolism or sepsis, and other information for maternity and surgery (e.g. gall bladder) also included. Myhealthfinder.com is a service of the Alliance for Quality Health Care & the Niagara Health Quality Coalition. Reports for 2009 analyzed patients from 2007

New York State Hospital Quality Ratings - nyhealth.gov

Select NY hospitals to compare in seven areas: Appropriate Heart Attack care; Heart Failure care; Pneumonia; Surgical infection prevention; Adult CABG or Pediatric cardiac surgery mortality (death) rates; and Angioplasty mortality rates. The search by procedure feature shows volume of common inpatient surgeries like inpatient gall bladder removal and kidney transplants. Most data from 2008; death rates from 2006. Side-by-side comparisons do not work for 2008-2009 volumes; view individual hospital reports to see data. State Department of Health site. Able to search by region such as Long Island

Oregon Hospital Quality Ratings (heart, pneumonia, surgery, satisfaction scores)

Oregon's hospital association (OAHHS) provides almost the same information here as reported for the national HospitalCompare website, but the site is easier to use, since it shows the data all at once across the state. Four types of quality measures are shown: heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia and hospital infections (surgery); plus patient satisfaction scores; mortality (death) rates for heart attack, heart failure or pneumonia. Most data from 2007-2008

Pennsylvania Hospital Performance Report 2008 | PHC4 (Sept. 2009)  

Compare PA hospitals on Mortality Rating (relative survival rate), Average Charge (price), Length of Stay, and Readmissions. Thirty one (31) conditions in the pdf prepared reports include heart failure, abnormal heartbeat, heart attack, angioplasty and stent, pneumonia, stomach and intestinal bleeding, stroke, (laparoscopic & open) gallbladder removal, hip fracture, COPD, blood clots, colorectal procedures, diabetes, kidney failure, urinary tract infections, abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, hysterectomy, septicemia, (radical and transurethral) prostatectomy, respiratory failure with & without mechanical ventilation, intestinal obstruction & carotid endarterectomy. Grouped by region. Use the Create your Own Report feature to access 20 additional conditions such as Brain surgery, medical back care, bronchitis & asthma, cirrhosis, liver disease, pancreatic cancer, stomach disorders, vascular procedures and more. Symbols for Mortality ratings can be confusing - a higher mortality rating means worse survival (we think). Contains helpful glossary for diagnoses & surgical procedures. Probably the most comprehensive report for hospital care in the country. Data from Oct. 1, 2007 to Sept. 30, 2008

Pennsylvania: Hospital-acquired Infections, 2007 (PHC4)

Study of 165 Pennsylvania hospitals shows hospital-acquired infections are dangerous (may contribute to lower survival rates: 12.2% mortality for those with such infections, vs. 2.0% for those without) and costly. Nearly 28,000 hospital acquired infections were reported in 2007, on nearly 1.6 million patients. Almost half of infections were Urinary Tract Infections. Hospitals are shown with peer group hospitals based on size, service complexity and volume of surgery. Average charges shown, but PA hospitals were only paid 27% of charges in 2007. Readers advised to read the full introduction before viewing individual hospital results. Report by Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council, an independent state agency, January 2009

Sepsis: What you should know

Brief overview of severe sepsis by a collaborative that includes the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM), written for lay people. The Society reports an estimated 750,000 people in the United States experience sepsis (expected to rise to 1 million by 2010); survivingsepsis.org reports death is common among sepsis patients, with around 30% of patients dying within the first month of diagnosis and 50% dying within 6 months

Smoking (MedlinePlus)  

According to the Surgeon General's report, adults who smoke cigarettes die 13 to 14 years earlier than nonsmokers. Site includes topics like Tobacco-related Mortality, Genes and Smoking, Cigarettes and Nicotine, Increased Risk for Cataracts, Lung Cancer, COPD, Effects on Infertility, Statistics (about 1 in 5 adults smokes) and Lung pictures.

South Dakota Hospital Quality Ratings and Patient Opinions - free

Compare quality of SD hospitals on heart attack, heart failure care, pneumonia, preventing infections in surgery patients, children's asthma, and overall patient satisfaction recommendations. Readmission and survival ratings are also shown for heart and pneumonia. CheckPoint site by SDAHO (hospital association) uses 2008 data for most measures. Same data as reported to CMS HospitalCompare (time periods may differ), but here all hospitals are side-by-side. State average and the best 10% scores are shown

Surgical Safety Checklist proves effective - NEJM Jan. 29, 2009

Article by Haynes, Weiser et al (including our favorite Atul Gawande MD) published in the New England Journal of Medicine, outlines the effectiveness of an easy-to-implement surgical checklist. The study tested the tool and approach with about 4000 patients in eight hospitals (incl. one in Seattle) in 8 countries, providing a diverse application of the checklist. Results showed significant and dramatic improvement in lowering surgical site infections, returns to OR, deaths, and complications. Read article, then enroll your hospital in IHI.org's free campaign to improve hospital care. Very exciting stuff

Tennessee Hospital Quality Comparison Ratings

The Tennessee Hospital Association and BlueCross BlueShield of TN have teamed up to compare hospital quality on mortality (survival rates), readmissions, volume and length of stay data. Interactive site for maternity, C-Section delivery, gall bladder surgery (laparoscopic & open cholecystectomy), cardiac valves, CABG, defibrillators, heart failure, stomach and GI problems, pneumonia, stroke, COPD, pacemakers, PCI, bowel surgery, brain surgery, back surgery, psychiatric hospitalization, hip and knee joint replacement (listed under Single & Bilateral Jt) and vascular procedures. Uses 2005-2006 data

Texas - Inpatient Care in Texas Hospitals, 2006 (Sept. 2008)

24 different quality ratings include patients of any payer type. Compare hospital volumes, mortality (survival rates), and certain utilization rates (i.e. cesarean section, VBAC rate, cardiac cath, appendectomy in elderly). Survival rates for heart attack (AMI), heart failure CHF, stroke, GI hemorrhage, hip fracture, and pneumonia. Volume and/or death rates provided for heart bypass surgery (CABG), angioplasty (PTCA), AAA Repair, hip replacement, craniotomy, esophageal resection, pancreatic resection, and carotid endarterectomy. Good set of reports, although dated to 2006. TX Dept. of State Health Services THCIC. If your hospital has a * by it, its mortality rate is significantly lower (good), but if it has two ** by it, its risk-adjusted mortality was found to be significantly higher; must look VERY closely to find the asterisks. Option to create your own report by searching the database by geographic area

usnews.com Best Hospitals 2009: Pediatric & Children's Hospitals

Top 30 hospitals for general pediatrics, as determined by US News & World Report, based on reputation score, volume, nurse staffing, and other factors. Special lists for best children's hospitals in heart & heart surgery, and neurology & neurosurgery use mortality (death) rates. Top 30 pediatric hospitals listed for cancer, digestive disorders, neonatal care, and respiratory disorders. List called America's Best Children's Hospitals, was updated June 2009

Vermont - 2009 Hospital Report Cards (Act 53)  

Vermont calls these ratings Act 53 report cards, in honor of legislation passed in 2003, requiring VT hospitals to publish annual community reports about hospital quality, safety, financial health, costs for services and more. This government site links to all of the data, including outpatient prices. Health conditions include heart care, pneumonia, surgical infection prevention, central line associated bloodstream infection rates, hysterectomy infections, knee replacement and hip replacement infection rates, volume and death rates for resection of esophagus or of pancreas (usually for cancer), pediatric heart surgery, abdominal aneurysm repair (AAA), & more. This site earns Editor's Pick for putting Composite Quality Ratings, Survival Rate information, links to patient satisfaction and current medical prices all on the same same web page for easy access. Well done. Nurse staffing also available.

Wisconsin Hospital Survival Ratings for Medical Illnesses  

Compare 108 WI hospitals (side-by-side) on their survival rates for stroke, heart attack, pneumonia, heart failure, hip fracture and GI Bleeding. Wisconsin Hospital Association report Deaths Due to Illness shows most hospitals performed As Expected, with a few significantly Worse, or Better than the others. Most results are from 2008 (deaths from 2007; error prevention show 2009 data), published 2009

Wisconsin Hospital Survival Ratings for Surgical Procedures  

Compare 86 WI hospitals (side-by-side) on their survival rates for AAA Repair, Craniotomy, heart (cardiac) bypass, PTCA angioplasty, CEA endarterectomy, resection of the esophagus or pancreas, and hip replacement surgery. Wisconsin Hospital Association report Deaths During a Procedure shows most hospitals performed As Expected, with a few significantly Worse, or Better than the others. Source data from 2007 (detailed practices shown for 2008), published 2009