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Ridgewood, NJ – July 8, 2009 - The nation’s leading independent healthcare ratings organization has ranked The Valley Hospital among the top 5 percent in the nation for women’s health quality outcomes, recognized by the 2009/2010 Women’s Health Excellence Award. Valley also earned the Maternity Care Excellence Award, ranking the hospital in the top 10 percent in the nation for maternity care. The Valley Hospital is the only hospital in Bergen County, and one of only 15 hospitals nationwide to earn both the Women’s Health and Maternity Care Excellence Awards for 2009/2010.
“We are very pleased to receive these recognitions,” said Audrey Meyers, President and CEO of The Valley Hospital. “I think it’s a wonderful reflection of the standard of care we provide to all our patients and a testament to the priority Valley staff and physicians place on achieving the highest-quality clinical outcomes, while delivering the most compassionate care.”
The Sixth Annual HealthGrades Women’s Health in American Hospitals study analyzed patient outcomes for maternity care and for the in-hospital treatment of 16 procedures/diagnoses concerning women’s health. The study found wide gaps in the quality of care provided at best- and worst-performing hospitals.
Among the findings are that the nation’s best-performing hospitals have complication rates for vaginal and C-section deliveries, as well as neonatal mortality rates, that are dramatically below those of poorly performing hospitals. Additionally, mortality and morbidity in women’s health, women’s cardiovascular procedures, and women’s bone and joint procedures improved 33 percent in best-performing hospitals.
“Women account for nearly 60 percent of all hospital admissions. Because of this, the impact that quality women’s health has on our nation is tremendous,” said Dr. Rick May, senior physician consultant and a study co-author. “Based on the huge quality gaps we’ve identified in our study, it is crucial that women take a more active role in their healthcare by seeking out hospitals with the best quality outcomes and using this information in their decision when selecting a hospital.”
If all hospitals in the study performed at the level of the best-performing hospitals in women’s health, 18,089 women’s lives could have potentially been saved and 6,949 complications could have been avoided during the years 2005, 2006, and 2007. Eighty-two percent of the potentially preventable deaths were associated with the treatment of just four diagnoses: pneumonia, stroke, heart failure, and heart attack. Additionally, if all hospitals performed at the level of the best-performing hospitals in maternity care, 182,129 women may have avoided developing one or more in-hospital major obstetrics complications. The best-performing hospitals also have a 56 percent lower weight-stratified neonatal mortality compared to poor-performing hospitals.
