Emergency Deparment with recognition

A National study of 11 life-threatening conditions shows that patients fare better in the top hospital's emergency rooms- such as Monmouth Medical Center's

A National study of 11 life-threatening conditions shows that patients fare better in the top hospital's emergency rooms- such as Monmouth Medical Center's

Patients in need of emergency care who choose treatment at monmouth medical center, an affiliate of the Saint Barnabas health care system, are being treated at one of the top 5 percent of hospitals nationwide for excellence in emergency medicine, according to the results of a national study that was recently released.

Healthgrades, the leading independent health care ratings organization providing quality assessments, profiles and cost information on the nation’s hospitals, recently examined more than 5 million Medicare records of patients admitted through emergency rooms in 4,907 hospitals from 2006 to 2008 and identified hospitals that performed in the top 5 percent in the nation in emergency medicine.

Those hospitals were named as recipients of the HealthGrades 2010 Emergency Medicine Excellence Award. There were 225 institutions nationwide that received the award. Monmouth Medical Center was among the honorees, as was an affiliated hospital, Community Medical Center in Toms River.

This first annual analysis is based on risk-adjusted mortality outcomes for patients admitted through the emergency department for 11 of the most prevalent life-threatening diagnoses in the Medicare population. Comparing the group of hospitals in the top 5 percent with all others, the study found that the group had a 39 percent lower risk-adjusted mortality rate. The top-performing hospitals, including Monmouth Medical Center, improved their outcomes over the years 2006 through 2008 at a faster rate than all other hospitals.

“In a life-threatening emergency, a patient’s survival may depend upon where he or she seeks emergency care,” says Frank J. Vozos, M.D., Monmouth Medical Center’s executive director. “The HealthGrades study just proves something we’ve known for a long time: Monmouth Medical Center is the best hospital in this region for emergency medicine. Our patients have a much greater rate

of survival from serious complications such as heart attack, pneumonia or stroke when they come to Monmouth Medical Center for care.”

Dr. Vozos says Monmouth Medical Center’s Emergency Department handles a diverse mix of challenges, from minor emergencies to major life-threatening conditions. Through its Children’s Hospital, Monmouth Medical Center also offers a dedicated pediatric emergency room staffed by pediatricians and nurses specifically trained to treat children.

“We are proud that our hospital and its Emergency Department have achieved this national distinction,” says Catherine Hanlon, M.D., the medical center’s chair of emergency medicine. “It is important for our patients to know that when they choose Monmouth Medical Center for emergency care, they are getting the best care available in the entire country.”

Dr. Hanlon adds: “Our team of dedicated and skilled physicians, nurses and staff in the Emergency Department is committed to providing excellence each and every day.”

According to HealthGrades, the most common causes for hospital admission through the emergency department by Medicare patients over the three years studied were pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and sepsis. The highest in-hospital mortality rates were among patients with a primary diagnosis of sepsis, respiratory failure or heart attack.

The 11 conditions examined in the study were:

• Bowel obstruction
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• Diabetic acidosis and coma
• Gastrointestinal bleeding
• Heart attack
• Pancreatitis
• Pneumonia
• Pulmonary embolism
• Respiratory failure
• Sepsis

• Stroke

HealthGrades Vice President Rick May, M.D., a co-author of the study, explains: “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 50 percent of hospital admissions now begin with hospital emergency departments, up from 36 percent in 1996, and that proportion is expected to rise because of the recent health-reform legislation. This study identifies hospitals with superior patient outcomes to educate consumers as well as to set data-driven benchmarks that other hospitals need to examine closely."

A full copy of the HealthGrades study identifying hospitals in the top 5 percent nationally for emergency care may be found at www.healthgrades.com. For more information about Monmouth Medical Center and its Emergency Department, visit www.saintbarnabas.com or call 888-724-7123.