Saddleback Memorial Medical Center Recognized as One of America's 50 Best Hospitals by Healthgrades

LAGUNA HILLS, Calif., Feb. 24, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Saddleback Memorial Medical Center has been named as one of only 1% of 4,500 hospitals nationwide to receive the Healthgrades 2015 America's 50 Best Hospitals Award™.   This prestigious honor recognizes Saddleback Memorial for its consistent, year-over-year superior clinical performance as measured by Healthgrades, the leading online resource for comprehensive information about physicians and hospitals.

"To be recognized among America's 50 Best Hospitals by Healthgrades is a tribute to our 3,400 extraordinary physicians, employees and volunteers as well as thousands of outstanding donors and supporters," says Saddleback Memorial Chief Executive Officer Steve Geidt. "Our physicians, nurses and other clinical and support staff work tirelessly to ensure our patients continually receive exceptional, compassionate quality care and superior clinical outcomes. The prestigious Healthgrades 2015 America's 50 Best Hospitals Award™ is based on an unbiased, objective review of our clinical outcomes by a highly regarded outside review organization."

Recipients of America's 50 Best Hospitals Award™ stand out among the rest for overall clinical excellence across a broad spectrum of care. During the 2015 study period (2011-2013), these hospitals showed superior performance in clinical outcomes for patients in the Medicare population across at least 21 of 32 of the most common inpatient conditions and procedures —as measured by objective performance data that includes risk-adjusted mortality and in-hospital complications.

From 2011-2013, as a group, the Healthgrades America's 50 Best Hospitals Award™ recipients had a 25% lower risk-adjusted mortality rate across 19 procedures and conditions compared to all other hospitals.  According to Healthgrades, if all other hospitals performed at the level of America's 50 Best Hospitals Award™ recipients across these procedures and conditions, 168,239 lives could potentially have been saved. For example, patients treated at a hospital that achieved America's 50 Best Hospitals Award™ had, on average, a 26.6% lower risk of dying from heart failure than if treated at a hospital that did not receive the award.

"When we tell our patients and their families about the outstanding care at Saddleback Memorial and its outpatient and ambulatory facilities, we speak from experience as physicians and from the knowledge that an outside organization has found our patient outcomes consistently among the very best in America," says Daniel LaMont, MD, Saddleback Memorial Chief of Staff. "To be among the best takes an enormous amount of collaboration, communication and commitment to quality around the clock. And that commitment is the hallmark of Saddleback Memorial."

In addition to being recognized one of Healthgrades America's 50 Best Hospitals, Saddleback Memorial is a quality leader in areas that include Healthgrades America's 100 Best Hospitals for Critical Care™; Healthgrades Pulmonary Care Excellence Award™; Healthgrades Women's Health Excellence Award™; and Healthgrades Patient Safety Excellence Award™. Saddleback Memorial also has been a Healthgrades Five-Star Recipient for treatment of heart attack, heart failure, diabetic emergencies, pulmonary embolism, GI bleed, pneumonia, sepsis, hip fracture and for colorectal surgery and total knee replacement.

"The Healthgrades analysis shows that not all hospitals perform equally, so it is important that consumers do their homework when selecting a hospital," said Evan Marks, Chief Strategy Officer for Healthgrades. "Hospitals that have achieved the Healthgrades distinction have demonstrated a commitment to exceptional clinical quality care over an extended period of time."

"We're honored and proud to be included among the nation's best hospitals," says Saddleback Memorial Board of Directors Chairman Bruce Channing, Laguna Hills City Manager. "Every member of our community greatly benefits from the high quality of care that is central to Saddleback Memorial's mission as well as our recognized role as national leaders in evidence-based, best-practice medicine and innovative approaches to caring for our community."

The entire community plays a major role in Saddleback's success. "Our Saddleback Memorial Foundation helps ensure excellence in health care is available close to where people live and work," says Foundation Chairman Bill Phillips, Aliso Viejo Mayor. "We accomplish this by partnering with the community to philanthropically support patient programs and services, education, medical technology, and expansion of hospital and outpatient facilities."  

To learn more about how Healthgrades determines America's 50 Best Hospitals Award™ recipients, visit www.healthgrades.com/quality.

About Saddleback Memorial
With campuses in Laguna Hills and San Clemente, Saddleback Memorial is continually honored for exceptional medical expertise that offers high quality, compassionate care for patients and families at every stage of their lives. Its centers of excellence are renowned for prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer, heart disease, stroke, pulmonary disease, orthopedics and diabetes; and for leadership in emergency medicine, breast health, surgery including robotic-assisted procedures, advanced imaging, women's health and geriatric care. The Women's Hospital at Saddleback Memorial Laguna Hills includes personalized obstetrics care and a highly regarded perinatal program and neonatal intensive care unit that specialize in high-risk pregnancies and caring for fragile newborns. Part of MemorialCare Health System, Saddleback Memorial has been named one of Healthgrades 2015 America's 50 Best Hospitals, a Best Regional Hospital by U.S. News & World Report, Becker's Healthcare Top Hospitals, awarded an "A" Hospital Safety Score by The Leapfrog Group, rated #1 Hospital in Orange County by consumers and received the American Heart Association Get with the Guidelines Gold Plus for Cardiac and Stroke care. To learn more, go to memorialcare.org/saddleback.

About MemorialCare Health System
With more than 200 care locations throughout Orange and Los Angeles counties, MemorialCare Health System is a nonprofit, integrated delivery system that includes six top hospitals – Long Beach Memorial, Miller Children's & Women's Hospital Long Beach, Community Hospital Long Beach, Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center in Fountain Valley and Saddleback Memorial Medical Center in Laguna Hills and San Clemente; MemorialCare Medical Group;  Greater Newport Physicians Independent Practice Association (IPA); Seaside Health Plan; ambulatory surgery centers, imaging centers, urgent care centers and numerous outpatient health centers. To learn more, visit memorialcare.org.

SOURCE Saddleback Memorial Medical Center