St. John Medical Center named Tulsa's top hospital by U.S. News & World Report
BY SHANNON MUCHMORE World Staff Writer
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
7/20/11 at 5:44 AM
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St. John Medical Center is the No. 1 hospital in the metro area, according to U.S. News & World Report's Best Hospital rankings.
St. Francis Hospital ranked second, and of the 33 in the area, it was the only other hospital mentioned by name.
The annual rankings were released Tuesday.
The Tulsa area has not previously been included, but the rankings were expanded this year to include 94 metro areas.
"We're very excited," said David Pynn, CEO of St. John Health System. "It puts us in great company."
St. John received high performing marks for gynecology and urology, while St. Francis was recognized for its work in gastroenterology. Neither was nationally ranked in the 12 specialties studied.
The rankings are based on data such as patient safety, death rates and procedure volume, as well as surveys from specialists and other physicians.
Pynn said St. John's top ranking can be partly attributed to a high-quality staff, early investment in technology and initiatives to ensure a low mortality rate.
"The continuous focus on quality and just not being satisfied are key," he said.
Lisa Medina, vice president of quality at St. John, said electronic health records have made a lot of data available for evaluating how the hospital performs in a variety of areas.
St. John is recognized by the American Nurses Credentialing Center as a magnet hospital that provides nursing excellence. It is also a Level II Trauma Center, both of which factor in the rankings.
Nationally, the top hospital is Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston is second, and third is the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
More than 70 percent of patients say they would definitely recommend St. John to a friend or family member. The rate at St. Francis is similar, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
St. Francis Health System Senior Vice President Lynn Sund said in a statement that the staff at the hospital is a big part of why it received the recognition.
"Saint Francis Hospital is pleased to be recognized again as one of the top healthcare facilities in our area with this recent designation by U.S. News and World Report," she wrote. "We are also proud of the special recognition given to the gastroenterology program this year."
Original Print Headline: St. John gets Tulsa's top spot in hospital rankings
Shannon Muchmore 918-581-8378
shannon.muchmore@tulsaworld.com
Associated Images:
Nurses Yesenia Saldivar (right) and Mona Keeline (middle) check on Sara Herren of Skiatook, whose son Chaz was born just hours earlier Tuesday at St. John Medical Center. The hospital has been named the best in the area by U.S. News & World Report magazine. JAMES GIBBARD / Tulsa World
St. Francis Hospital was ranked No. 2 on the list by U.S. News & World Report magazine. Tulsa World file
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