Henrico Doctors’ Hospital Recognized for Exceptional Quality in National Study

Leading Healthcare Ratings Company Ranks Henrico Doctors’ Hospital Among Top Five Percent Nationally

Richmond, VA (January 27, 2009) – Henrico Doctors’ Hospital is one of only 270 hospitals nationwide to receive HealthGrades 2009 Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence™, and the only hospital in Virginia to sustain this recognition for seven consecutive years.  These distinctions are based on an independent study released today by HealthGrades, the leading healthcare ratings company.

The study of quality at the nation’s nearly 5,000 nonfederal hospitals places Henrico Doctors’ Hospital in the top five percent for overall clinical quality.  According to the HealthGrades study, Distinguished Hospitals for Clinical Excellence had mortality rates that were, on average, 27 percent lower than other hospitals, and major complication rates that were eight percent lower.

For seven years now, HealthGrades has conducted the most comprehensive studies of hospital quality in America, producing ratings for every non-federal hospital. Hospitals that receive the Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence are those hospitals that excel across the 26 procedures and diagnoses rated.

Patrick Farrell, CEO at Henrico Doctors’ Hospital stated “To receive this prestigious award is an honor. To receive it seven years in a row is a tribute to our entire clinical team of physicians, nurses and other staff who consistently demonstrate our commitment to improving the quality of patient care.”

The study also shows that Distinguished Hospitals for Clinical Excellence are improving at a greater rate in more procedures and diagnoses than all other hospitals, lowering risk-adjusted mortality rates over the years 2005, 2006, 2007 by an average of 18%. 

“Distinguished Hospitals for Clinical Excellence comprise an unparalleled group of hospitals that excel across the board, not just in one or two specialties, and they should be commended for their relentless commitment to exceptional patient care. Patients should expect and demand the same level of care at all hospitals,” said Rick May, MD, HealthGrades senior physician consultant, and an author of the study.

For its study, HealthGrades analyzed almost 41 million Medicare hospitalization records that cover the latest three-year period, from 2005 to 2007.  Because the hospitalization records come from the federal government, no hospital can opt in or out of HealthGrades' rating process. The analysis is risk-adjusted to account for differences in patient populations between hospitals.

HealthGrades found that Distinguished Hospitals for Clinical Excellence outperformed all other hospitals across the procedures and diagnoses studied. HealthGrades estimates that 152,666 lives could have been saved and 11,772 complications could have been avoided over the three years studied if all Medicare patients were treated at Distinguished Hospitals for Clinical Excellence.

About Henrico Doctors’ Hospital
Henrico Doctors’ Hospital, with campuses at 1602 Skipwith Road (Forest Campus), 7700 E. Parham Road (Parham Campus), and 2621 Grove Avenue (Retreat Hospital), is a 767-bed acute-care hospital offering state-of-the-art medical technology in a community hospital setting. Part of the HCA Virginia Health System, Henrico Doctors’ Hospital was named one of HealthGrades “America’s 50 Best Hospitals” in 2007 and 2008. The Cancer Center at HDH is accredited by the American College of Surgeons with ten commendations. HDH is a national leader in kidney transplants and robotic surgery.  In addition, Henrico Doctors’ recently opened The Orthopaedic Hospital, a new state-of-the-art facility on its Parham Campus. For more information on Henrico Doctors’ Hospital, visit us at www.hcarichmond.com and click on Henrico Doctors’ Hospital.