Healthgrades, the leading online resource for comprehensive information about physicians and hospitals, today announced the 258 recipients of the Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence. According to the Healthgrades evaluation, these hospitals are among the top five percent in the nation that deliver high quality care across at least 21 of 32 common inpatient conditions and procedures.

During the 2017 study period (inpatient stays from 2013-2015), Healthgrades Distinguished Hospitals for Clinical Excellence, as a group, had a 26.2% lower risk adjusted in-hospital mortality rate across 19 procedures and conditions where mortality was the clinical outcome, compared to all other hospitals. During this same period, if all other hospitals performed at the level of Distinguished Hospitals for Clinical Excellence across these 19 procedures and conditions, 160,322 lives could potentially have been saved.

Healthgrades compared hospitals receiving the Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence, as a group, to those who did not receive the award as a group. Healthgrades found that compared to non-recipient hospitals, patients treated in hospitals receiving the award had, on average, a lower risk of dying for these common inpatient conditions and procedures:

  • 22.5% lower risk of dying of a heart attack
  • 30.5% lower risk of dying of heart failure
  • 36.7% lower risk of dying of pneumonia
  • 25.0% lower risk of dying of stroke
  • 25.1% lower risk of dying of sepsis
  • 24.4% lower risk of dying of respiratory failure

“Today more than 30% of people who choose a physician consult Healthgrades to better understand their options for care and place a high value on the outcomes and complications at the hospitals where the provider practices or treats patients. Therefore, high marks in clinical quality are a major differentiator for hospitals, and have a profound effect on consumers when they make decisions about where to receive care,” said Brad Bowman, MD, chief medical officer, Healthgrades. “The hospitals that have achieved this distinction stand out from their peers because of their commitment to high quality clinical outcomes for their patients.”

Access a complete list of the 2017 award recipients and download an infographic with additional information.

Learn more about how Healthgrades determines Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence™ recipients.

View Healthgrades hospital quality methodologies.

About Healthgrades

Healthgrades, headquartered in Denver, Colorado, is the leading online resource for comprehensive information about physicians and hospitals. Today, more than one million people a day use the Healthgrades website to search, compare and connect with hospitals and physicians based on the most important factors when selecting a healthcare provider: experience, hospital quality and patient satisfaction. For more information about Healthgrades, visit http://www.healthgrades.com or download the Healthgrades iPhone app.