Contact: Sharon Sopp, 410.740.7646, ssopp@hcgh.org
COLUMBIA, Md.— Howard County General Hospital: A Member of Johns Hopkins Medicine (HCGH) received numerous top national and regional recognitions from a national leading independent healthcare ratings organization, most notably number one rankings in Maryland for gastrointestinal surgery and overall critical care; Excellence Awards for pulmonary care, gastrointestinal care, gastrointestinal surgery, and critical care; and five-star ratings in cardiac care, pulmonary care, gastrointestinal care and critical care.
These recognitions are based on HealthGrades’ 12th annual Hospital Quality in America study, released today, which analyzes patient outcomes at virtually all of the nation’s hospitals. Excellence awards are presented to the top 10 percent of hospitals nationwide within each specialty area. Hospitals receiving a five-star rating have mortality or complication rates that are below the national average, to a statistically significant degree.
“We are very proud to be recognized for our achievements in providing quality care to our patients, especially in these particular diagnoses,” said Victor A. Broccolino, president and CEO of HCGH. “The leadership and staff of HCGH have developed many critical initiatives over the past several years to ensure we are providing quality patient care and affording our patients the safest care possible.”
The awards prove the effectiveness of several quality initiatives the hospital has implemented, including:
• Critical Care
o Intensive care physicians on-site around the clock
o The Rapid Response Teams’ ability to bring aid quickly to patients who have a serious change in their condition
o The successful active screening program for MRSA (Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus) in the Intensive Care Unit.
• Gastrointestinal Care/Surgery
o Post-operative order sheets for colon surgery were revised based on the national Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP) recommendations, including antibiotic discontinuation and venous thromboembolism prophylaxis.
• Pulmonary Care
o Changed distribution strategy for flu and pneumococcal vaccinations. Patients now receive the vaccines earlier in the hospitalization.
o Emergency Department patients with pneumonia received antibiotics in a timely manner.
All HealthGrades distinctions received by HCGH include:
• Five-Star Rated for Treatment of Heart Attack
• Five-Star Rated for Treatment of Heart Failure (2008 - 2010)
• Recipient of the HealthGrades Pulmonary Care Excellence Award™ (2004 - 2010)
• Ranked Among the Top 5% in the Nation for Overall Pulmonary Services (2008 - 2010)
• Ranked Among the Top 10 in Maryland for Overall Pulmonary Services
• Five-Star Rated for Overall Pulmonary Services (2004 - 2010)
• Five-Star Rated for Treatment of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (2008 - 2010)
• Five-Star Rated for Treatment of Pneumonia (2003 - 2010)
• Recipient of the 2010 HealthGrades Gastrointestinal Care Excellence Award™
• Recipient of the 2010 HealthGrades Gastrointestinal Surgery Excellence Award™
• Ranked Among the Top 10% in the Nation for Overall GI Services and GI Surgery
• Ranked #1 in Maryland for GI Surgery
• Ranked Among the Top 10 in Maryland for GI Services
• Five-Star Rated for GI Surgery
• Five-Star Rated for GI Procedures and Surgeries (2009 & 2010)
• Five-Star Rated for Treatment of GI Bleed
• Recipient of the HealthGrades Critical Care Excellence Award™ (2008 - 2010)
• Ranked Among the Top 5% in the Nation for Critical Care (2009 & 2010)
• Ranked #1 in Maryland for Overall Critical Care
• Five-Star Rated for Overall Critical Care (2008 - 2010)
• Five-Star Rated for Treatment of Sepsis (2006 - 2010)
• Five-Star Rated for Treatment of Pulmonary Embolism (2008 - 2010)
• Five-Star Rated for Treatment of Respiratory Failure (2006 - 2010)
“These awards recognize that HCGH and its physicians have created the best hospital in the state for critical care patients and one of the best hospitals in the country in many other areas,” said Marc B. Applestein, M.D., president of the HCGH Professional Staff. “We hope the community realizes that when they need essential health care services, the best are available in their own back yard."
Howard County General Hospital: A Member of Johns Hopkins Medicine since 1998 is a 227-bed, not-for-profit, health care provider located in Columbia, Maryland. Serving the community since 1973, the hospital, with a professional staff of over 800 physicians and allied health professionals, representing 78 specialties and subspecialties, and a workforce of more than 1,800, has grown into a comprehensive, acute-care medical center that offers a full range of services, from neonatal care and oncology to outpatient treatment and critical care.
|