CareChex® Names Ochsner Number Two In The Nation In Overall Hospital Care

NEW ORLEANS, Nov. 4, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- CareChex^®, a division of COMPARION, has named Ochsner¹ number two in the country and number one in Louisiana in Overall Hospital Care in its 2014 hospital ratings. Ochsner received the highest rating of check++ and a score of 99.9 out of 100 in the national rankings. Over 4,000 hospitals from across the country were ranked in the Overall Hospital Care category which comprises ratings of all² inpatient medical conditions and surgical procedures treated and performed by full-service hospitals, such as cancer care, cardiac surgery and spinal surgery. Ochsner was second only to St Mary's Hospital, which is part of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. 

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Additionally, for the second year in a row, Ochsner was named number one in the country for liver transplants and this year was named number two for kidney transplants. This prestigious distinction encompasses three quality measures: patient safety indicators, mortality rates and complication rates.

Utilizing extensive clinical data from the Hospital Quality Alliance and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, CareChex^® provides a comprehensive evaluation of all components of medical quality including:

• Process of care - measures specific processes that should be followed during heart attack and heart failure, pneumonia, outpatient procedures, surgical care and preventive care, among others.
• Outcomes of care – measures mortality and complication rates, inpatient quality indicators and patient safety indicators
• Patient satisfaction – measures overall hospital ratings, doctor and nurse communication, hospital environment, and staff responsiveness, among others.

CareChex^® provides these findings to consumers, providers and purchasers of U.S. medical care, including many Fortune 500 companies.

"CareChex^® allows the public to make informed decisions regarding the quality of medical care provided by hospitals," said Dr. Thane Forthman, President and CEO, CareChex^® a division of Comparion. "We are pleased to acknowledge that Ochsner Medical Center has achieved an exceptionally high level of performance across all components of medical quality. Ochsner's performance is a benchmark that other hospitals should seek to emulate."

"The CareChex^® rankings demonstrate Ochsner's commitment to the highest quality patient care," said Dr. Joseph Bisordi, Chief Medical Officer, Ochsner Health System. "What matters most to us are positive outcomes for our patients. We want our patients to get the best possible care so they can go home sooner and get back to their lives and families."

"We are honored to have our programs named among the best in the country by CareChex^®, which is used by some of the largest companies in the nation in order to make informed healthcare decisions," said Warner Thomas, President and CEO, Ochsner Health System. "Each and every member of Ochsner's team is relentlessly focused on quality and understands that it is part of their responsibility to make sure our patients have the best possible outcomes. I am extremely proud of the physicians and clinical teams who provide such exceptional care to our patients every day."

"As our transplant program continues to grow both regionally and nationally, we remain committed to providing the best service and care for our patients," said Dr. Nigel Girgrah, PhD, Head of Hepatology, Medical Director of the Multi-Organ Transplant Institute. "We work with so many patients and families over long periods of time, so we know what a difference a successful transplant can make in someone's life. That's why we work so hard to be the best."

Following is a list of Ochsner's many notable 2014 CareChex^® awards:

Top 10% in Nation
Overall Hospital Care  (#2 in country)
Overall Medical Care
Cancer Care
Cardiac Care
Gall Bladder Removal
Gastrointestinal Care (#9 in country)
Heart Attack Treatment (#4 in country)
Hip Fracture Repair
Interventional Carotid Care (#9 in country)
Joint Replacement
Major Bowel Procedures
Neurological Care (#9 in country)
Orthopedic Care
Major Orthopedic Surgery
Kidney Transplant (#2 in country)
Liver Transplant (#1 in country)
Trauma Care (#2 in country)
Vascular Surgery

Top 10% in State
Overall Hospital Care (#1 in state)
Overall Medical Care (#1 in state)
Cancer Care
Cardiac Care (#1 in state)
Gall Bladder Removal
Gastrointestinal Care (#1 in state)
Heart Attack Treatment (#1 in state)
Hip Fracture Repair (#1 in state)
Interventional Carotid Care (#1 in state)
Joint Replacement (#1 in state)
Neurological Care (#1 in state)
Major Neurosurgery (#1 in state)
Orthopedic Care (#1 in state)
Major Orthopedic Surgery (#1 in state)
Pneumonia Care (#1 in state)
Pulmonary Care (#1 in state)
Trauma Care (#1 in state)
Vascular Surgery

For more information, please visit www.ochsnerquality.org or www.carechex.com.

Ochsner Health System is southeast Louisiana's largest non-profit, academic, multi-specialty, healthcare delivery system.  Driven by a mission to Serve, Heal, Lead, Educate and Innovate, coordinated clinical and hospital patient care is provided across the region by nine hospitals, both owned and managed, and more than 40 health centers in Louisiana. Ochsner has been named the Consumer Choice for Healthcare in New Orleans for 18 consecutive years and is the only Louisiana hospital recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a "Best Hospital" across eight specialty categories. Ochsner employs more than 14,000 employees, over 900 physicians in over 90 medical specialties and subspecialties and conducts over 300 clinical research trials annually. Ochsner Health System is proud to be a tobacco-free environment. For more information, please visit ochsner.org and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

CareChex® is a division of Comparion® Medical Analytics – one of the nation's largest privately-held healthcare information service companies. CareChex® provides clinical, financial and patient satisfaction findings to consumers, providers and purchasers of U.S. medical care. Unlike other publicly available hospital quality ratings, CareChex® provides a composite evaluation of all components of medical quality including process of care, outcomes of care and patient experiences. 

¹ Ochsner's quality metrics include data from both Ochsner Medical Center and Ochsner Medical Center - West Bank Campus.
² The category does not include data from Pancreas Transplants and Other Heart Assist System Transplants.

SOURCE Ochsner Health System