NANTICOKE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL RANKED AMONG TOP 5% IN NATION FOR EMERGENCY MEDICINE BY HEALTHGRADES

- HealthGrades: Patients Admitted to Top Hospitals for Emergency Medicine Have 40% Lower Death Rate -

A report released on February 20, 2012 by HealthGrades, an independent source of hospital quality outcomes, named Nanticoke Memorial Hospital one among the top five percent in the nation for emergency medicine. Nanticoke Memorial Hospital has received the Emergency Medicine Excellence Award for 2012.

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 the patient population, including heart attack, stroke, pneumonia, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD.

“We could not be more proud of our team at Nanticoke. The physicians, nurses, and support staff work very hard every day to provide high quality care for our patients. Once again, receiving national recognition validates the extraordinary efforts we see each day at our hospital,” said Steve Rose, President and CEO of Nanticoke Health Services.

“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.

HealthGrades has also recently ranked Nanticoke among the top 5% in the nation and #1 in Delaware for critical care and among the top 10% in the nation for pulmonary care. For patients receiving care at a 5-star hospital, data shows there is a 72% lower risk of dying when compared to a hospital with a 1-star rating.

HealthGrades, headquartered in Denver, Colorado, is a leading provider of comprehensive information about physicians and hospitals. More than 200 million consumers use the HealthGrades websites, including HealthGrades.com and BetterMedicine.com, to research, select, and connect with a physician or hospital, and use its comprehensive information about clinical outcomes, patient satisfaction, patient safety, and health conditions to make more informed healthcare decisions and take action. Find more information about our products and services at HealthGrades.com. Follow us on Twitter (@HealthGrades) and Facebook for news and updates. More information on how HealthGrades guides Americans to their best health can be found at www.healthgrades.com.

Nanticoke Health Services features an award winning, full-service community hospital. Nanticoke Memorial Hospital is ranked number one in Delaware and among American’s Best 100 Hospitals for Critical Care, among the top 5% in the nation for Emergency Medicine for 2012 by HealthGrades, Inc., and among the top 10% in the nation for Pulmonary Care for 2012 by HealthGrades, Inc. Nanticoke has also been named one of the Best 100 Places to Work in Healthcare by Becker’s Hospital Review. Nanticoke Memorial Hospital holds a Level III trauma status and includes an interventional cardiology program, a nationally accredited and award winning stroke program, and a comprehensive cancer program. Nanticoke’s medical staff includes nearly 120 active staff physicians practicing in 37 different specialties.

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