Report Names Ocala Health System one of HealthGrades America’s 50 Best Hospitals for Fourth Year in a Row

Recognized for Sustained, Outstanding Clinical Performance by HealthGrades, the Leading Independent Healthcare Ratings Organization

OCALA, FL (February 25, 2010) – Ocala Health System announced today that it has been named a HealthGrades America’s 50 Best Hospital for 2010 in a report issued by HealthGrades, the leading independent healthcare ratings organization.

The report, which analyzes objective patient outcomes at all 5,000 of the nation’s nonfederal hospitals, places Ocala Regional Medical Center  and West Marion Community Hospital in the top 1% of all hospitals in the nation.

Ocala Health System has received this distinction for four consecutive years.

According to the report, there is a wide variation in quality when comparing the Medicare patient outcomes of Ocala Regional Medical Center and West Marion Community Hospital and the rest of the HealthGrades America’s 50 Best Hospitals against all others. Patients admitted to America’s 50 Best Hospitals are, on average, 27% less likely to die and 8% less likely to suffer from a major complication when compared with patients admitted to other hospitals. If all hospitals operated at the same level as the 50 Best, 164,964 deaths and 18,900 inhospital complications could have potentially been prevented.

“When you look at the statistics and see what these results mean to the health and well-being of our patients, it proves that Ocala Health System is dedicated to making a difference in their health, and we are serious about providing only the best healthcare to this community,” said H. Rex Etheredge, CEO & President of Ocala Health System.

“We are truly honored to once again be named among the very best in the country.”

To determine HealthGrades America’s 50 Best Hospitals, HealthGrades analyzed more than 130 million Medicare hospitalization records from every non-federal hospital in the nation. Hospitals must meet minimum thresholds in terms of patient volumes, quality ratings, and the range of services provided.  Specifically, hospitals were evaluated based on the risk-adjusted mortality and complication rates across 26 procedures and treatments, from hip replacement to bypass surgery. Hospitals that were in the top 5% of all hospitals for the most consecutive years were named HealthGrades America’s 50 Best Hospitals. The full methodology can be found in the report posted at http://www.healthgrades.com.

 “The HealthGrades America’s 50 Best Hospitals have demonstrated clinical outcomes that are the best in the nation, and they have sustained that level of quality year in and year out,” said Rick May, MD, a HealthGrades' vice president and one of the study’s authors. “That indicates that these hospitals have leadership, operational structures and clinical teams that are capable of producing excellence in a way that others cannot. These hospitals should be congratulated, and those in their community should feel proud of the quality of care being delivered.”

Ocala Health System is the health organization which encompasses Ocala Regional Medical Center, a 200-bed facility located in the heart of Ocala, and West Marion Community Hospital, a 70-bed hospital located in West Marion County. The organization includes the only Commission on Cancer approved cancer center in Marion County and inpatient Joint Care Center. It offers a host of medical services including bariatric surgery, cardiac and vascular, emergency, neurological and rehabilitation services and a variety of outpatient services.