Atlanta, GA - Saint Joseph’s Hospital has been named as one of the country’s top 50 orthopaedic hospitals by U.S. News & World Report for the second consecutive year. The 17th edition of “America’s Best Hospitals” ranked performance in 16 specialties ranging from cancer and heart disease to neurology and urology. Saint Joseph’s was ranked 30th in the country for orthopaedics.
“To be ranked among the elite 50 hospitals again is tremendous recognition for our physicians and their medical expertise,” says Lynn Whelan, director of orthopaedic services for Saint Joseph’s Hospital. “The recognition identifies centers with a higher standard of care, especially for patients with increased risks because of age, frailty, obesity or other complications.”
To be considered in a specific specialty, a hospital had to meet criteria including performing a minimum number of specified procedures on Medicare patients in 2002, 2003 and 2004; a reputational score and mortality criteria, as well as quality of care scores for technology and nurse-to-patient ratios.
“Saint Joseph’s is recognized for its minimally-invasive joint replacements, lower complication and mortality rates,” says Whelan “All these add up to improved patient satisfaction and national recognition of our orthopaedics program.”
Saint Joseph’s was previously named a 100 Top Hospital® Orthopaedics by Solucient, the nation’s leading source of information products for the health care industry. Saint Joseph’s also has been dually-designated a Distinguished Hospital for Clinical Excellence and a Distinguished Hospital for Patient Safety by HealthGrades, Inc., for two consecutive years.
