SLCH Recognized By Healthgrades Top 10 Percent for General Surgery
Newburgh, NY – General Surgery at St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital (SLCH) is among the top 10% in the nation—as measured by volume-weighted performance—according to this year’s evaluation from Healthgrades, the leading online resource for comprehensive information about physicians and hospitals. Every year, Healthgrades evaluates hospital performance at nearly 4,500 hospitals nationwide for 34 of the most common inpatient procedures and conditions.
“This latest recognition is another example of the patient-focused, quality care provided by St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital,” said SLCH President & CEO Joan Cusack-McGuirk. “This honor is the result of the hard work and dedication by not just our incredible surgeons, but also the entire operating room and perioperative team that cares for our patients before, during and after their procedure.”
The Healthgrades award comes on the heels of several additions to SLCH’s surgical services during the last two years. The American College of Surgeons (ACS), a nationally recognized organization for setting standards in surgical quality and patient safety, verified SLCH’s Trauma Program with a Level III Trauma Center Designation in 2017 and accredited the hospital’s Bariatric program also in 2017. Each program was found to meet the requirements set forth by the ACS for these specialties and were granted a three-year accreditation.
As a direct result of the hospital’s relationship with the Montefiore Health System, SLCH recently re-introduced a thoracic surgery program, expanding the number of procedures and conditions able to be treated in the local community.
This achievement is part of findings released by Healthgrades and is featured in their 2018 Report to the Nation, which includes detailed study methodology and can be found at www.healthgrades.com/quality.The new report demonstrates how clinical performance continues to differ dramatically between hospitals regionally and nationally.
This variation in care has a significant impact on health outcomes. For example, from 2014-2016, patients treated at hospitals receiving the General Surgery Specialty Excellence Award have, on average, had a 25.0% lower risk of experiencing a complication or dying while in the hospital than if they were treated in hospitals that did not receive the award.
“Consumers value information about hospital quality and use it to evaluate their choices for care,” said Brad Bowman, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Healthgrades. “Hospitals that have achieved a specialty excellence distinction from Healthgrades prove a commitment to high-quality of patient care.”
About St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital
St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital (SLCH) is a not-for-profit community hospital with campuses in Newburgh and Cornwall, NY. The hospital is dedicated to serving the health care needs of the Hudson Valley and has achieved excellence in the delivery of compassionate and comprehensive health care services. SLCH is also recognized as an industry leader in using information technology to improve patient care, by winning the Most Wired Award for four consecutive years. In January 2018, SLCH officially became part of the Montefiore Health System to strengthen the delivery of health care locally and enhance access to exceptional specialty care for Hudson Valley residents.
*Statistics are based on Healthgrades analysis of MedPAR data for years 2014 through 2016 and represent three-year estimates for Medicare patients only.
