University of
California, San
Diego Medical
Center
Heart & Heart Surgery Score
Card
U.S. News Hospital Score
28.4/100
Survival
Much better than
expected
Patient safety
Lowest
Patient volume
Lowest
Technologies
Number of important
technologies available in this
specialty
High
US News and World Report
2010-1011 hospital rankings
Scores downloaded July 5, 2011
California, San
Diego Medical
Center
Heart & Heart Surgery Score
Card
U.S. News Hospital Score
28.4/100
Survival
Much better than
expected
Patient safety
Lowest
Patient volume
Lowest
Technologies
Number of important
technologies available in this
specialty
High
US News and World Report
2010-1011 hospital rankings
Scores downloaded July 5, 2011
Cardiology score Cards
Kaiser
Permanente
Not ranked
in cardiology
Permanente
Not ranked
in cardiology
Patient perceptions are often incorrect
Medicare data show gap in hospital performance, perception
By Steve Sternberg and Christopher Schnaars
USA TODAY
08/05/2011
More than 120 hospitals given top marks by patients for providing excellent care also have a
darker distinction: high death rates for heart attack, heart failure or pneumonia, a USA TODAY
analysis of new Medicare data has found.
Experts say the newspaper's analysis of data released today by Medicare offers a window into
the relationship between patients' perceptions of the the quality of their hospital care and more
objective measures, such as hospitals' death and readmission rates.
"This is a very important finding," says Donald Berwick, director of the Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid Services, adding that though patient-survey data offer critical insights into how it
feels to be a patient at different hospitals, patients' perceptions don't tell the whole story.
Over the past decade, rising costs and a flood of complex therapies have prompted patients,
employers, insurers and the federal government to demand public disclosure of health care
data. Armed with this evidence, Berwick says, doctors, insurers and patients themselves can
make better choices about where to obtain medical care.
STORY: Data can help patients fill perception gap
INTERACTIVE: Death, readmission rates for thousands of hospitals
MORE: See how hospitals rank according to patient surveys
The challenge is to measure hospitals accurately. Experts still debate what measures to use,
says John Wennberg, founding editor of the Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care and author of
Tracking Medicine: A Researcher's Quest to Understand Health Care.
Medicare's analysis of more than 4,600 hospitals found that 323, or one of every 14, had
above-average death rates for heart attack, heart failure or pneumonia. Two — Piedmont
Medical Center in Rock Hill, S.C., and Southwest Mississippi Regional Medical Center in
Macomb — had high death rates in all three categories. Thirteen had low death rates across
the board.
Veterans Administration hospitals performed well, according to data released for the first time
this year. Ten hospitals had lower death rates than average for heart failure; two were lower
for heart attacks; and five for pneumonia.
All VA hospitals were as good as or better than the national rate for heart attack and heart
failure.
Medicare data show gap in hospital performance, perception
By Steve Sternberg and Christopher Schnaars
USA TODAY
08/05/2011
More than 120 hospitals given top marks by patients for providing excellent care also have a
darker distinction: high death rates for heart attack, heart failure or pneumonia, a USA TODAY
analysis of new Medicare data has found.
Experts say the newspaper's analysis of data released today by Medicare offers a window into
the relationship between patients' perceptions of the the quality of their hospital care and more
objective measures, such as hospitals' death and readmission rates.
"This is a very important finding," says Donald Berwick, director of the Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid Services, adding that though patient-survey data offer critical insights into how it
feels to be a patient at different hospitals, patients' perceptions don't tell the whole story.
Over the past decade, rising costs and a flood of complex therapies have prompted patients,
employers, insurers and the federal government to demand public disclosure of health care
data. Armed with this evidence, Berwick says, doctors, insurers and patients themselves can
make better choices about where to obtain medical care.
STORY: Data can help patients fill perception gap
INTERACTIVE: Death, readmission rates for thousands of hospitals
MORE: See how hospitals rank according to patient surveys
The challenge is to measure hospitals accurately. Experts still debate what measures to use,
says John Wennberg, founding editor of the Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care and author of
Tracking Medicine: A Researcher's Quest to Understand Health Care.
Medicare's analysis of more than 4,600 hospitals found that 323, or one of every 14, had
above-average death rates for heart attack, heart failure or pneumonia. Two — Piedmont
Medical Center in Rock Hill, S.C., and Southwest Mississippi Regional Medical Center in
Macomb — had high death rates in all three categories. Thirteen had low death rates across
the board.
Veterans Administration hospitals performed well, according to data released for the first time
this year. Ten hospitals had lower death rates than average for heart failure; two were lower
for heart attacks; and five for pneumonia.
All VA hospitals were as good as or better than the national rate for heart attack and heart
failure.
Comparing hospital performance in cardiology
San Diego
Education Report
Education Report
Scripps La Jolla
Hospitals and
Clinics
Cardiology & Heart Surgery
Score Card
Hospital Ranking #45
U.S. News Hospital Score
33.1/100
Survival
Better than
expected
Success in keeping patients
safe
Moderate
Patient volume
High
Nurse staffing
Highest
Nurse Magnet hospital
Yes
Advanced technologies
High
Patient services
Number of important patient
services available in this
specialty
Highest
2011-2012
Hospitals and
Clinics
Cardiology & Heart Surgery
Score Card
Hospital Ranking #45
U.S. News Hospital Score
33.1/100
Survival
Better than
expected
Success in keeping patients
safe
Moderate
Patient volume
High
Nurse staffing
Highest
Nurse Magnet hospital
Yes
Advanced technologies
High
Patient services
Number of important patient
services available in this
specialty
Highest
2011-2012
Sharp Grossmont
Hospital
Cardiology & Heart Surgery
Score Card
Hospital Ranking
NA
U.S. News Hospital Score
13.9/100
Best Hospitals Rankings
Methodology »
Reputation with specialists
None
Survival
Much worse than
expected
Success in keeping patients
safe
Moderate
Patient volume
Medium
Nurse staffing
Highest
Nurse Magnet hospital
Yes
Advanced technologies
High
Patient services
Number of important patient
services available in this
specialty
Highest
Hospital
Cardiology & Heart Surgery
Score Card
Hospital Ranking
NA
U.S. News Hospital Score
13.9/100
Best Hospitals Rankings
Methodology »
Reputation with specialists
None
Survival
Much worse than
expected
Success in keeping patients
safe
Moderate
Patient volume
Medium
Nurse staffing
Highest
Nurse Magnet hospital
Yes
Advanced technologies
High
Patient services
Number of important patient
services available in this
specialty
Highest
Sharp Memorial
Hospital
Cardiology & Heart Surgery
Score Card
Hospital Ranking
NA
U.S. News Hospital Score
18.6/100
Best Hospitals Rankings
Methodology »
Reputation with specialists
Modest
Survival
Worse than expected
Success in keeping patients safe
Moderate
Patient volume
Medium
Nurse staffing
Average
Nurse Magnet hospital
Yes
Advanced technologies
High
Patient services
Number of important patient
services available in this
specialty
Highest
Hospital
Cardiology & Heart Surgery
Score Card
Hospital Ranking
NA
U.S. News Hospital Score
18.6/100
Best Hospitals Rankings
Methodology »
Reputation with specialists
Modest
Survival
Worse than expected
Success in keeping patients safe
Moderate
Patient volume
Medium
Nurse staffing
Average
Nurse Magnet hospital
Yes
Advanced technologies
High
Patient services
Number of important patient
services available in this
specialty
Highest