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Northwest Hospital & Medical Center Earns Distinguished Hospital Award for Patient Safety

Posted on: Monday, 2 April 2007, 09:00 CDT

SEATTLE, April 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Northwest Hospital & Medical Center today announced that it has been named among the top 5% of hospitals in the U.S. for patient safety based on a study by HealthGrades(R), the leading independent healthcare ratings company. As a result of its findings, HealthGrades has recognized Northwest Hospital with the 2007 Distinguished Hospital Award for Patient Safety(TM). It is one of only 224 organizations in the nation, and one of only seven in Washington State to receive the award.

In its "Fourth Annual Patient Safety in American Hospitals Study," HealthGrades independently analyzed almost 40 million Medicare patient records from nearly 5000 nonfederal hospitals over a three-year period, using 13 patient safety indicators developed by the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The 13 patient safety indicators measured included:

o Death in illness or medical procedure categories that typically have a low mortality rate o Decubitus ulcer (pressure or bed sore) o Failure to rescue o Foreign body left in during procedure o Iatrogenic pneumothorax (collapsed lung) o Selected infections due to medical care o Post-operative hip fracture o Post-operative hemorrhage or hematoma o Post-operative physiologic and metabolic derangements, or complications o Post-operative respiratory failure o Post-operative pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis (blood clot) o Post-operative sepsis (bacterial infection of the blood stream) o Post-operative abdominal wound dehiscence (rupture)

The analysis showed that Northwest Hospital had one of the lowest patient-safety incident rates among its Medicare patients. In fact, according to the study, patients at hospitals that receive the Distinguished Hospital Award for Patient Safety are, on average, 40 percent less likely to experience an adverse, preventable event during their stay.

"We are especially proud to receive this award from HealthGrades, as it recognizes years of daily, behind-the-scenes efforts by each member of our staff to ensure patient safety and quality care," said C. William Schneider, CEO of Northwest Hospital & Medical Center. "From our physicians and nurses who interact one-on-one with patients, to the dozens of committees and small working groups that come together to examine policies and procedures, I am delighted that this award will serve as a public acknowledgement of the hard work of so many people."

A full copy of the HealthGrades study can be found at http://www.healthgrades.com/ About Northwest Hospital & Medical Center

Opened in 1960, Northwest Hospital & Medical Center (http://www.nwhospital.org/) is a full-service, non-profit community hospital located minutes north of downtown Seattle. With 281 licensed beds, more than 1,600 employees and all private rooms, it offers some of the most innovative, technologically advanced medical care available. Major clinical programs and services include: emergency services; critical care; cardiac care; stroke center; cancer care; childbirth services; bariatric surgery; medical rehabilitation; neurosciences; diagnostic imaging; geropsychiatric center; Gamma Knife(R) Center; laboratory services; and education and wellness programs, among others. For more information about Northwest Hospital, call 206-364-0500 or 206-633-4636 for the Physician Referral Line.

Northwest Hospital & Medical Center

CONTACT: Karen Peck of Northwest Hospital & Medical Center,+1-206-368-1609; or Scott Shapiro of HealthGrades Inc., +1-720-963-6584,sshapiro@healthgrades.com

Web site: http://www.healthgrades.com/

Web site: http://www.nwhospital.org/

Source: PRNewswire

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