Queen of the Valley Ranks Among Top 5 Percent of U.S. Hospitals for Clinical Outcomes; Named one of Healthgrades 2020 America’s 250 Best Ho

St. Joseph Health, Queen of the Valley Medical Center has achieved the Healthgrades America’s 250 Best Hospitals Award™ for the second consecutive year, placing the hospital in the top 5 percent of nearly 4,500 hospitals assessed nationwide for its superior clinical performance, as measured by Healthgrades, a resource that connects consumers, physicians and health systems.

“Providing the highest quality of care to our patients is our top priority and this award reflects our caregivers’ commitment to ensuring patient safety is always at the forefront,” said Larry Coomes, chief executive officer.

From 2016 through 2018, patients treated in hospitals achieving the award had, on average, a 26.6 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*. During that same period, if all hospitals performed similarly to those achieving the Healthgrades America's 250 Best Hospitals Award, 161,930 lives could potentially have been saved.

For example, patients treated for sepsis in hospitals achieving the award have, on average, a 25.5 percent lower risk of dying than if they were treated in hospitals that did not receive the award*. A dedicated sepsis rapid response team at Queen of the Valley was implemented in 2017 to ensure early recognition and prompt, intensive treatment of sepsis and the hospital received a Five-Star Award from Healthgrades for its treatment of sepsis the past two years.

“Hospital quality varies significantly from hospital to hospital, so it’s important for consumers to do their research and select a hospital that provides the best level of care for their specific needs,” said Brad Bowman, M.D., chief medical officer at Healthgrades.

Recipients of the Healthgrades America’s 250 Best Hospitals Award stand out among the rest for overall clinical excellence across a broad spectrum of care. During the 2020 study period (2016 through 2018), 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.