HealthGrades ranks Parma Hospital #1 in Ohio for Coronary Interventional Procedures

HealthGrades, the nation’s most trusted, independent source of physician information and hospital quality ratings, has named Parma Community General Hospital the best hospital in Ohio – and among the top 5 percent in the nation – for coronary interventional procedures. Parma Hospital also ranked among the top hospitals in the state for overall cardiac services.

“We’re proud of the cardiac care we deliver to the community,” said Dr. Christine Zirafi, medical director of cardiac catheterization services. “We continue to improve in all areas and are obviously quite pleased to be ranked number one for coronary interventional procedures in the state of Ohio for 2012.”

Choosing a hospital can be a life or death decision. HealthGrades’ report found that patients treated at 5-star rated hospitals experience a 73 percent lower risk of mortality and a 63 percent lower risk of complications compared to 1-star rated hospitals. Parma Hospital was the first hospital in the region to implement a Code STEMI system that alerts the Cardiac Catheterization Lab of heart attack patients en route. Electronic transmission of EKGs from ambulances to the Emergency Department (ED) – and subsequent notification of key hospital staff – has resulted in a median response time of 55 minutes, well below the national standard of 90 minutes. Many cardiologists, including Dr. Zirafi, have clocked times as low as 9 and 14 minutes.

“Cardiac care at Parma Hospital is one of our signature service areas. Those who work at the hospital and patients who’ve experienced our cardiac care have long known the quality we provide, but it is validating to have it recognized nationally by an independent, quality rankings organization,” said Terrence G. Deis, president and CEO of Parma Hospital.

The nation’s nearly 5,000 hospitals cannot opt in or out of being rated by HealthGrades, which analyzed approximately 40 million Medicare discharges from nearly every U.S. hospital from 2008 to 2010 to determine its ratings.

“Patients today have a wide array of options when it comes to choosing a healthcare provider,” said Kerry Hicks, HealthGrades’ chief executive officer. “At HealthGrades, we are proud to have led the way for empowering patient choice based on objective clinical outcomes and access to actionable quality measures. We commend Parma Community General Hospital for its superior quality and support of consumerism and transparency in the Cleveland area.”

Additional clinical achievements for Parma Community General Hospital include:

• One of HealthGrades America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Coronary Intervention™ in 2012
• Ranked #1 in Ohio for Coronary Interventional Procedures
• Ranked among the Top 5 facilities in Ohio and one of the Top 5 percent of facilities in the nation for Coronary Interventional Procedures for four years in a row (2009-2012)
• Recipient of the HealthGrades Coronary Intervention Excellence Award™ (2009-2012)
• Overall Cardiac Services put Parma Hospital among the Top 10 facilities in the state for past two years and among the Top 10 percent in the nation in 2012
• Recipient of the HealthGrades Cardiac Care Excellence Award™ in 2012
• Five-Star Rated for Cardiology Services for two years in a row (2011-2012)
• Five-Star Rated for Coronary Bypass Surgery in 2012
• Five-Star Rated for Coronary Interventional Procedures for eight years in a row (2005-2012)

Key findings of the HealthGrades 2011 Healthcare Consumerism and Hospital Quality in America report include:

• Patients, on average, were 63 percent less likely to experience in-hospital complications than patients at 1-star programs, and had a 43 percent lower chance of developing an in-hospital complication than the national average.
• If all Medicare patients from 2008 through 2010 had been treated at 5-star hospitals, 240,040 lives could have potentially been saved.
• If all Medicare patients from 2008 through 2010 had gone to 5-star hospitals for their procedure, 164,472 in-hospital complications could have potentially been avoided.

About Parma Community General Hospital:

Parma Community General Hospital is an independent, not-for-profit hospital founded in 1961 by six communities in southwestern Cuyahoga County – Parma, Parma Heights, Brooklyn, Brooklyn Heights, North Royalton and Seven Hills. The 348-bed hospital, with a medical staff of more than 500 members in more than 30 specialties, serves more than 350,000 people in southern Cuyahoga and northern Medina counties.

About HealthGrades:

HealthGrades is America's most trusted, independent source of physician information and hospital quality outcomes. HealthGrades’ online properties are the nation's leading destination for physician search and empower more than 170 million consumers annually to make informed healthcare decisions.