St. Francis earns stellar HealthGrades ratings for gastrointestinal, joint replacement care

INDIANAPOLIS – St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers announced today (Oct. 13) that its Indianapolis, Beech Grove and Mooresville hospitals have received five-star ratings for their gastrointestinal (GI) and joint replacement programs.

That’s the assessment of an extensive study conducted by HealthGrades, one of the nation’s leading health care rating companies. The HealthGrades study annually assesses patient outcomes – mortality and complication rates – at virtually all of the nation’s nearly 5,000 non-federal hospitals.

St. Francis Hospital-Indianapolis achieved five-star ratings for its GI bleed and bowel obstruction (second year in a row). St. Francis earned five-star ratings for GI surgical and procedures (fifth consecutive year), joint replacement program (eighth consecutive year).

St. Francis Hospital-Mooresville again was been ranked best in Indiana for joint replacement surgery. This marks the fourth year in a row the Center for Hip & Knee Surgery has achieved this rating.

“St. Francis physicians, nurses and support staff continually work to improve clinical processes while using their extensive knowledge, experience and skills to ensure better outcomes and superior care for our patients,” said Robert. J. Brody, president and chief executive officer of St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers. “We’re pleased their efforts have been honored at this national level.”

“The HealthGrades recognition reflects the culture of care and the quality of service we provide to those we serve,” added Alan Gillespie, M.D., St. Francis’ chief medical officer and vice president of medical affairs. “That we continue to receive these consecutive ratings is a testament to our continued dedication to care for our patients.”

Mooresville joint surgery tops in state again

St. Francis Hospital-Mooresville also continued garner stellar recognition from HealthGrades.

The joint replacement program earned the top spot in Indiana for the fourth consecutive year. Other ratings for the 2010 assessment:
Recipient of the HealthGrades Joint Replacement Excellence Award (fourth consecutive year)
Top 5 percent for in nation for joint replacement (four years)
Five-star rating for joint replacement (eight years)
Five-star rating for total knee replacement (eight years)
Five-star rating for total hip replacement (eight years)

“Certainly it’s a wonderful achievement, and I believe it underscores our commitment to deliver premier orthopedic care at St. Francis and the Center for Hip & Knee Surgery,” said Jared Stark, executive director of St. Francis Hospital-Mooresville.
“Our team of total joint surgeons, physicians, nurses, therapists, and all the members of the healthcare organization continually strive to improve the way we help people live more active and pain-free lives,” added John B. Meding, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon and president of St. Francis Hospital-Mooresville’s medical staff. “We constantly are reviewing every aspect of joint replacement with the assistance of the research foundation here at St. Francis-Mooresville. “
Meding is a surgeon with the Indiana Joint Replacement Surgeons, a practice group whose Center for Hip & Knee Surgery is affiliated with the Mooresville hospital.
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.