This morning, Consumer Reports released its new hospital surgery rating system, giving a safety rating for 2,464 hospitals nationally. Using Medicare claims data from 2009-2011 for patients 65 and older, Consumer Reports groups the 86 most common surgical procedures into 27 different categories, including those to clear blocked arteries, back surgery and hip and knee replacement. The hospitals were rated on two major outcomes: 1) death at the hospital after surgery, and 2) a longer, risk-adjusted stay in the hospital than expected. [more]

All hospitals, including St. Vincent Charity Medical Center, take patient safety seriously. It is an ongoing process of continuous improvement at all points of care. We support the efforts to help inform and educate the public about the quality and safety of their care so that they can make informed choices. Patients and consumers should use all tools at their disposal when making choices about their care. Talk with family and friends, ask doctors, nurses and other healthcare providers about care. Explore and compare hospitals on the Hospital Compare website.

It’s worth noting the limitations to Consumer Reports hospital surgery rating system. It relies solely on Medicare data and does not reflect what ALL patients would experience. Using claims data instead of a medical record also means that the data does not take into account a patient's underlying health conditions. St. Vincent Charity Medical Center is not satisfied with its rating, but acknowledges that we are among our cohorts of other urban hospitals who provide a higher percentage of uncompensated care for patients who tend to have more complex medical conditions. That is our mission and that continues unabated.

Consumers and patients should know that St. Vincent Charity Medical Center focuses not only on the standards set by outside agencies, such as Consumer Reports, but also on our continuous effort to improve the safety of all patients in our care.