According to the Second Annual HealthGrades® Bariatric Surgery Trends in American Hospitals Study, Hialeah Hospital ranks number one in Florida and among the top 5 percent in the nation for bariatric surgery, which includes gastric bypass and laparoscopic procedures.
In addition, Hialeah Hospital received a five-star rating for clinical excellence in bariatric surgery from HealthGrades, the nationÕs leading independent healthcare ratings organization.
The HealthGrades study analyzed the outcomes of 166,410 patients in hospitals in 19 states from 2003 through 2005. The average length of stay for patients undergoing the procedure was 26 percent shorter for five-star hospitals than one-star hospitals. Average mortality rates were low across the board, but the average mortality rate in five star-rated facilities was almost half the rate of all other U.S. hospitals.
Hialeah Hospital is one of 109 hospitals nationally to receive a five-star rating from HealthGrades. According to the study, large quality gaps exist between the "best" and the "worst" hospitals across most bariatric procedures studied.
A typical patient undergoing a bariatric surgery procedure in a 5-star rated facility (such as Hialeah Hospital) would have, on average, a 64 percent lower chance of developing one or more major in-hospital complications compared to a 1-star rated hospital and a 41 percent lower chance of developing one or more major in-hospital complications compared to all study hospitals.
Morbid obesity is a growing epidemic and major public health problem in America that contributes to additional serious health risks. As a result, there has been a dramatic growth in bariatric surgery over the last decade.
For its 2007/2008 bariatric surgery ratings, HealthGrades independently analyzed the quality of care at hospitals in states publishing outcomes data, objectively assessing their clinical performance and quality. HealthGrades risk-adjusted the data to account for hospitals with differing patient populations. Hospitals with risk-adjusted complication rates in the lowest 15 percent received a five-star rating.
The 70 percent of hospitals with complication rates that were as expected received a three-star rating, and hospitals with complication rates in the highest 15 percent received a one-star rating.
"The Second Annual Bariatric Surgery Trends in American Hospitals Study further validates that the quality of bariatric surgery varies widely from hospital to hospital," explained Samantha Collier, MD, HealthGrades' vice president of medical affairs.
"While the most beneficial intervention for morbid obesity is bariatric surgery, it can carry significant risks, which can vary depending on the hospital. Hialeah Hospital rated among the best in the United States with some of the lowest complication rates in the nation for bariatric surgery," Collier added.
HealthGrades' bariatric surgery ratings are published, free of charge, on the HealthGrades consumer Web site, http://www.healthgrades.com www.healthgrades.com.
Hialeah Hospital, part of Tenet's Miami-Dade Health Network, is a 378-bed acute care hospital located at 651 East 25th Street in Hialeah. The hospital has been serving the medical and health care needs of central to north Miami-Dade County since 1951.
Hialeah Hospital offers a broad range of health care services, including 24-hour emergency care, cardiology, neurosurgery, obstetrics, a Level II Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, laboratory, a surgical weight loss program that has been designated a Center of Excellence by the American Society for Bariatric Surgery, a sleep disorders program, and a complement of imaging services.
Hialeah Hospital has earned a five-star rating and is ranked among the top five percent of hospitals in the nation for maternity care by HealthGrades, a health care quality ratings company. Hialeah Hospital is fully accredited by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the nation's oldest and largest hospital accreditation agency.