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Saint Barnabas Medical Center’s Clinical Excellence Recognized in Second Annual Bariatric Surgery Study Patients in five-star rated hospitals have, on average, a 64% lower chance of developing major complications than one-star hospitals Livingston, N.J.– Saint Barnabas Medical Center has been recognized with a five-star rating for clinical excellence in bariatric surgery from HealthGrades, the nation’s leading independent healthcare ratings organization. In the Second Annual HealthGrades Bariatric Surgery Trends in American Hospitals Study, Saint Barnabas ranked in the top 10 percent in the nation for bariatric surgery, which includes gastric bypass and laparoscopic procedures. Additionally, this marks the second year in a row the hospital has been a recipient of the HealthGrades Bariatric Surgery Excellence Award™. The HealthGrades study analyzed the outcomes of 166,410 patients in hospitals in 19 states over the years 2003, 2004 and 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. According to the study, large quality gaps existed between the “best” and the “worst” hospitals across most bariatric procedures studied. Saint Barnabas Medical Center is one of 109 hospitals nationally to receive a five-star rating from HealthGrades. If all hospitals performed at a five-star level 5,902 patients could have avoided one or more inhospital complications. “The Bariatric Surgery Program at Saint Barnabas was begun in 2000, and, today, is one of the largest and most distinguished bariatric centers on the east coast” reports Ronald Chamberlain, MD, MPA, FACS, Chairman of the Department of Surgery and Surgeon-in-Chief at Saint Barnabas Medical Center. “As supported through the HealthGrades study, our outstanding quality of care, low complication rate and high level of surgical experience places Saint Barnabas as a leader in the field of bariatric surgery.” 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. “Recognized as a serious disease that compromises quality of life and increases the risk of death, severe obesity also can lead to life-threatening diseases including diabetes, hypertension and pulmonary compromise,” explains Michael Nusbaum, MD, FACS, Chief of Bariatric Surgery at Saint Barnabas Medical Center. “We provide a full complement of services that support patients before, during and after surgery,” Dr. Nusbaum explains “You have to have a life-long commitment to the weight-loss process and we provide the resources patients need for a successful long-term outcome.” For its 2007/2008 bariatric surgery ratings, HealthGrades independently analyzed the quality of care at hospitals in the 19 states that publish 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’ chief medical officer. “While the most beneficial intervention for morbid obesity is bariatric surgery, it can carry significant risks, which can vary depending on the hospital. Saint Barnabas rated among the best in the nation 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, www.healthgrades.com. Saint Barnabas Medical Center is also recognized as an American Society for Bariatric Surgery (ASBS) Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence (BSCOE) for demonstrating a track record of exceptional patient outcomes in bariatric surgery, an ongoing commitment to excellence in the care of bariatric surgical patients at the highest levels of the medical staff and a comprehensive approach to weight loss. Date: August 1, 2007 Saint Barnabas Contact: Robin Lally, (973) 322-4923 [ top ] |
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