[brian]

America's Best Hospitals 2005

Of the 176 medical centers that appear in this year's edition of America's Best Hospitals, 16 earned Honor Roll status, a mark of particular distinction. To be on the Honor Roll, a hospital had to demonstrate breadth of excellence by achieving a high ranking in no fewer than six specialties. The Honor Roll order is based on a point system that awards 2 points per specialty for ranking close to the top and 1 point for ranking slightly below that.

• The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland.
• Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.
• Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.
• Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio.
• University of California-Los Angeles Medical Center, Los Angeles, California.
• Barnes-Jewish Hospital/Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri.
• New York-Presbyterian Hospital of Columbia and Cornell, New York, New York.
• Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina.
• University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle, Washington.
• University of California-San Francisco Medical Center, San Francisco, California.
• University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
• Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.
• University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
• University of Chicago Hospitals, Chicago, Illinois.
• Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
• Stanford Hospital and Clinics, Stanford, California.

Full Story: http://www.usnews.com/usnews/health/...ls/tophosp.htm

[LionsDen5]

I don't need a point system to tell me which hospital is the best. It if saves and preserves lives, it is a great hospital. St Joseph's Medical Center in Stockton, Ca literally transformed my life. I posted once here before about my two heart attacks, four stents and finally open heart triple by-pass surgery. I was asked to speak at a fundraiser for the American Heart Association and St Joseph's Hospital. I made a list of 62 people from the hospital who cared for me during my 11 day stay. That included the ambulance attendants, Emergency Room, Cath Lab, CICU, SICU, Medical Observatin Unit, Surgical Observatin Unit, Nuclear Medicine, Radiology, Being a football and softball coach, I rely on teamwork to experience any kind of success. The teamwork on any championship team is nothing in comparrison to the teamwork I saw at the hospital. I often think what would have happened if just one of those 62 people had dropped the ball. Sometimes I catch myself smiling for no reason at all, thinking about the new life that St Joseph's has given me a chance to experience. I wake up excited everyday. I volunteer at the hospital every Saturday morning and speak to patients who are going into or coming from heart surgery. I am really proud to wear the polo shirt that identifies me as a St Joseph's Volunteer.

Mark

[lazydfl]

What happened to the southern hospitals???????? None were mentioned. North Carolina is as far south as the honors go. Does Magnet status have anything to do with the criteria that these hospitals have to meet? Please name the six specialties that have to be demonstrated to achieve the honor roll.......

Originally Posted by brian

America's Best Hospitals 2005

Of the 176 medical centers that appear in this year's edition of America's Best Hospitals, 16 earned Honor Roll status, a mark of particular distinction. To be on the Honor Roll, a hospital had to demonstrate breadth of excellence by achieving a high ranking in no fewer than six specialties. The Honor Roll order is based on a point system that awards 2 points per specialty for ranking close to the top and 1 point for ranking slightly below that.

• The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland.
• Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.
• Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.
• Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio.
• University of California-Los Angeles Medical Center, Los Angeles, California.
• Barnes-Jewish Hospital/Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri.
  What happened to the Southern Hospitals?????? None are mentioned. North Carolina is the most southern hospital named........... Do y ou s
• New York-Presbyterian Hospital of Columbia and Cornell, New York, New York.
• Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina.
• University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle, Washington.
• University of California-San Francisco Medical Center, San Francisco, California.
• University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
• Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.
• University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
• University of Chicago Hospitals, Chicago, Illinois.
• Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
• Stanford Hospital and Clinics, Stanford, California.

Full Story: http://www.usnews.com/usnews/health/...ls/tophosp.htm

[tvccrn]

Originally Posted by lazydfl

What happened to the southern hospitals???????? None were mentioned. North Carolina is as far south as the honors go. Does Magnet status have anything to do with the criteria that these hospitals have to meet? Please name the six specialties that have to be demonstrated to achieve the honor roll.......

Many southern hospitals earned top 50 rankings for certain specialties, but not for an all-over score.

The six specialties aren't anything specific. There is a list in the article of the specialties they looked at. What that means is they looked at the listed specialties and gave points for ranking in those specialties. To make the honor roll, a facility had to place in the top 50 for six of those specialties.

[barefootlady]

Glad to know I live close to at least 4 of these facilities.

[NRSKarenRN]

Also see this news item found at healthleaders.com newsleter:

Studies fault hospitals on basics
U.S. hospitals are improving the quality of the care they provide, but even the best fail too often to offer the right treatments, such as immediately giving aspirin to victims of heart attacks and properly administering antibiotics to pneumonia patients, according to the two most comprehensive analyses of the issue. The findings have been published in the New England Journal of Medicine.


Washington Post, July 21, 2005




For ratings of some local hospitals done by reviewing Medicare records see:
http://hospitalcompare.hhs.gov/

I was plesantly surprised to see the hospital affiliated with my homecare agency receive significant scores well above state average and local "big name" hospital that the elite flock too.

[midwife2b]

Originally Posted by brian

America's Best Hospitals 2005

Of the 176 medical centers that appear in this year's edition of America's Best Hospitals, 16 earned Honor Roll status, a mark of particular distinction. To be on the Honor Roll, a hospital had to demonstrate breadth of excellence by achieving a high ranking in no fewer than six specialties. The Honor Roll order is based on a point system that awards 2 points per specialty for ranking close to the top and 1 point for ranking slightly below that.

• The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland.
• Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.
• Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.
• Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio.
• University of California-Los Angeles Medical Center, Los Angeles, California.
• Barnes-Jewish Hospital/Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri.
• New York-Presbyterian Hospital of Columbia and Cornell, New York, New York.
• Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina.
• University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle, Washington.
• University of California-San Francisco Medical Center, San Francisco, California.
• University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
• Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.
• University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
• University of Chicago Hospitals, Chicago, Illinois.
• Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
• Stanford Hospital and Clinics, Stanford, California.

Full Story: http://www.usnews.com/usnews/health/...ls/tophosp.htm

Not so sure the list is so comforting. Duke has been in the news for washing surgical instruments with hydralic fluid drained from an elevator. Also performed heart surgery and used a heart with the wrong blood type. I'm sure there are others with equally distressing stories. Large facilities attract the best and the brightest who also attract research dollars.
A family member of mine went to Duke for a specialized clinic they have; never saw anyone but residents....

[WeeBabyRN]

Originally Posted by LionsDen5

I don't need a point system to tell me which hospital is the best. It if saves and preserves lives, it is a great hospital. St Joseph's Medical Center in Stockton, Ca literally transformed my life. I posted once here before about my two heart attacks, four stents and finally open heart triple by-pass surgery. I was asked to speak at a fundraiser for the American Heart Association and St Joseph's Hospital. I made a list of 62 people from the hospital who cared for me during my 11 day stay. That included the ambulance attendants, Emergency Room, Cath Lab, CICU, SICU, Medical Observatin Unit, Surgical Observatin Unit, Nuclear Medicine, Radiology, Being a football and softball coach, I rely on teamwork to experience any kind of success. The teamwork on any championship team is nothing in comparrison to the teamwork I saw at the hospital. I often think what would have happened if just one of those 62 people had dropped the ball. Sometimes I catch myself smiling for no reason at all, thinking about the new life that St Joseph's has given me a chance to experience. I wake up excited everyday. I volunteer at the hospital every Saturday morning and speak to patients who are going into or coming from heart surgery. I am really proud to wear the polo shirt that identifies me as a St Joseph's Volunteer.

Mark

Great post Mark! I wish you continued Health.

[Nurseboy1]

Originally Posted by midwife2b

Not so sure the list is so comforting. Duke has been in the news for washing surgical instruments with hydralic fluid drained from an elevator. Also performed heart surgery and used a heart with the wrong blood type. I'm sure there are others with equally distressing stories. Large facilities attract the best and the brightest who also attract research dollars.
A family member of mine went to Duke for a specialized clinic they have; never saw anyone but residents....

I'm sorry but please get your facts straight. The hydralic fluid incident occured at two duke AFFILIATED hospitals, not at duke hospital itself.

[rnpilot]

I worked at one of the listed hospitals in the last year. I beg to disagree.