Evergreen Named One of America's 100 Best Hospitals for Stroke Care

KIRKLAND, Wash., Oct. 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Evergreen Healthcare today announced that it has received the Stroke Care and Pulmonary Care Excellence Awards for 2012 from HealthGrades, placing it among the top 5 percent of hospitals nationwide for its superior patient outcomes and significantly reduced mortality rates for stroke treatment and pulmonary services.

For the third consecutive year, Evergreen was honored with HealthGrades' Five-Star Rating and ranked as the number one hospital in Washington state in treatment of stroke. It was also awarded a Five-Star Rating and ranked in the top three in the state for overall pulmonary services for a second straight year.

A recent HealthGrades study found that patients who are treated at Five-Star Rated hospitals have a 54 percent lower risk of mortality and a 43 percent lower risk of in-hospital complications compared to the national average.

The study also revealed that if all Medicare patients had been treated in Five-Star hospitals from 2008 to 2010, as many as 240,040 lives could have potentially been saved across the country.

"This report highlights the importance of choosing a healthcare provider that can consistently deliver outstanding clinical care and patient results," said Evergreen Healthcare CEO Bob Malte. "Evergreen strives to provide the pinnacle of excellent, patient-centered clinical care across all of our specialties, and we are very proud of HealthGrades' continued recognition of our stroke and pulmonary programs."

In addition to the awards for stroke and pulmonary care, Evergreen has also received several other HealthGrades Five-Star ratings this year, including:

• Five-Star Rated and ranked as the number two hospital in Washington for Neurosciences
• Ranked among the top five hospitals in Washington for Gastrointestinal (GI) Medical Treatment for the sixth consecutive year
• Five-Star Rated for the Treatment of Heart Failure for the last two years
• Five-Star Rated for the Treatment of Pneumonia for the seventh consecutive year
• Five-Star Rated for the Treatment of Respiratory Failure for the last three years

Earlier this year, Evergreen was awarded the HealthGrades Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence for the third consecutive year, ranking it among the top 5 percent in the nation for clinical excellence. It was also recognized with the HealthGrades Outstanding Patient Experience Award in 2011 and the Maternity Care Excellence Award for 2011.

HealthGrades is the nation's most trusted source of physician information and hospital quality ratings. Its online properties are the leading destinations for physician research and empower more than 170 million consumers annually to make informed healthcare decisions.

To learn more about the nationally recognized stroke treatment and pulmonary services provided by Evergreen, visit www.evergreenhealthcare.org or call 425.899.3000.

About Evergreen Healthcare

Evergreen Healthcare, a public hospital district and community-based health care organization established in 1972, offers a breadth of services and programs that is among the most comprehensive in the region. More than 950 physicians provide clinical excellence within more than 80 specialties, including cardiac, oncology, surgical care, orthopedics, a Neuroscience Institute, Women's and Children's services, hospice care, pulmonary care, a Sleep Disorders Center and Home Health services care.  Evergreen serves more than 400,000 residents in its primary service area of northern King and southern Snohomish counties with Evergreen Medical Group, a network of primary and urgent care practices, and Evergreen Hospital Medical Center, its main hospital campus in Kirkland, Wash. Evergreen also provides emergency care at two sites; its main hospital campus and the Evergreen Redmond Medical Center.  In addition to clinical care, Evergreen offers extensive community health outreach and education programs, anchored by Evergreen Healthline, a 24/7 nurse consultation service. For more information, visit www.evergreenhealthcare.org.

CONTACTS:

Kay Taylor
VP of Marketing
Evergreen Healthcare
425.899.2604

Kristi Clough
Firmani + Associates Inc.
206.443.9357
[email protected]

SOURCE Evergreen Healthcare