HealthGrades Study Rates Local Hospital 5-Star
for Treatment of Heart Attack

Fresno, CA (October 13, 2009) – Saint Agnes Medical Center is the only 5-Star rated hospital for the Treatment of Heart Attack in the Fresno Area, according to a comprehensive annual study released today by HealthGrades, the leading independent healthcare ratings organization. The HealthGrades study annually assesses patient outcomes – mortality and complication rates – at virtually all of the nation’s nearly 5,000 nonfederal hospitals. 

“We are very proud of these distinctions,” says Thomas Anderson, Acting President and Chief Executive Officer, Saint Agnes Medical Center. “They demonstrate the shared commitment of our staff and physicians to provide local residents with the first-rate health care they deserve.”

According to the twelfth annual HealthGrades Hospital Quality in America study top-rated hospitals had a 52 percent lower mortality rate than the U.S. national average when looking at the patient outcomes of 17 procedures and diagnoses ranging from bypass surgery to treatment for heart attack. When the top-rated hospitals were compared to the poorest performers, there was an even greater difference, 72 percent lower mortality.

Saint Agnes has achieved other notable heart attack care achievements in recent years, including being named a Mentor Hospital for Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI), otherwise known as heart attack, by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI). Saint Agnes shares this distinction with 37 hospitals nationwide – and only three in California. Saint Agnes has also achieved stellar door-to-balloon (D2B) times – the time from when a heart attack patient enters the Emergency Department through the time it takes to open the blocked artery. The sooner blood flow can be restored, the less permanent damage to the heart. At Saint Agnes, the average D2B time for 2009 is 55 minutes, with a Saint Agnes record of 14 minutes. The national recommendation by the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association is 90 minutes.

Additionally, Saint Agnes was a recipient of the 2009/2010 Maternity Care Excellence Award and Ranked among the Top 5% in the nation for Maternity Care in The Sixth Annual HealthGrades Women’s Health in American Hospitals study released in June 2009. Further underscoring its quality work in women’s health, Saint Agnes has been rated 5-Star for Maternity Care five years in a row (2005 & 2006/2007-2009/2010).

The new 2010 HealthGrades hospital ratings were posted today at HealthGrades’ public Web site, www.healthgrades.com.

HealthGrades Ratings
HealthGrades’ hospital ratings and awards reflect the track record of patient outcomes at hospitals in the form of mortality and complication rates. HealthGrades rates hospitals independently based on data that hospitals submit to the federal government. No hospital can opt in or out of being rated, and no hospital pays to be rated.

For 28 procedures and treatments, HealthGrades issues star ratings that reflect the mortality and complication rates for each category of care. Hospitals receiving a 5-star rating have mortality or complication rates that are below the national average, to a statistically significant degree. A 3-star rating means the hospital performs as expected. One-star ratings indicate the hospital’s mortality or complication rates in that procedure or treatment are statistically higher than average. Because the risk profiles of patient populations at hospitals are not alike, HealthGrades risk-adjusts the data to allow for apples-to-apples comparisons.

More information on today’s HealthGrades study, including the complete methodology, can be found at www.healthgrades.com.

About Saint Agnes
Founded by the Sisters of the Holy Cross, circa 1929, Saint Agnes Medical Center has built its 80-year healing legacy on caring for Central California residents with the highest level of compassion and quality. The 436-bed acute care hospital is well respected for its clinical and service excellence and has been selected by consumers as the region’s Consumer Choice Award Winner for 14 consecutive years. From emergency, diagnostic, surgical and rehabilitative services to state-of-the-art cardiac, cancer, neuro and orthopaedic care, Saint Agnes combines the most advanced equipment and technology with the expertise of top-ranked physicians and staff to meet the Valley’s growing and diverse healthcare needs. Saint Agnes is a member of Trinity Health, the fourth largest Catholic healthcare system in the United States.

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