Lourdes receives "Best Hospitals" ranking for 2nd consecutive time this year



Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center has been ranked among the top hospitals in the Philadelphia area for the second time this year in U.S. News Media & World Report's 2011-12 Best Hospitals rankings. Lourdes ranked 17th in the region and was honored with a "high performance" rating in Geriatrics.

"Lourdes ranking in U.S. News & World Report's Best Hospitals for the second time this year is a true testament to our organization-wide commitment to delivering the best care and value to our patients and their families," says Alexander J. Hatala, President and CEO of Lourdes Health System. "We feel honored to stand among the top hospitals in the Philadelphia region. This recognition fuels our spirit and pushes us to continue striving to ensure that our patients receive the outstanding care and commitment to excellence that they expect and deserve."

Regional rankings identified the top 21 performing hospitals in each major metropolitan area. The Philadelphia region encompasses 93 hospitals within Philadelphia, southern New Jersey and Delaware. The regional hospital rankings complement the national rankings by including hospitals with solid performance nearly at the level of nationally ranked institutions.

The regional rankings are aimed primarily at consumers whose care may not demand the special expertise found only at a nationally ranked Best Hospital or who may not be willing or able to travel long distances for medical care. The U.S. News metro rankings give many such patients and their families more options of hospitals within their community and in their health insurance network.

"These are hospitals we call high performers. They are fully capable of giving most patients first-rate care, even if they have serious conditions or need demanding procedures," Comarow said. "Almost every major metro area has at least one of these hospitals."

The core mission of Best Hospitals is to help guide patients who need an especially high level of care because of a difficult surgery, a challenging condition, or added risk because of other health problems or age. "These are referral centers where other hospitals send their sickest patients," said Avery Comarow, U.S. News Health Rankings Editor. "Hospitals like these are ones you or those close to you should consider when the stakes are high."

Hard numbers stand behind the rankings in most specialties--death rates, patient safety, procedure volume, and other objective data. Responses to a national survey, in which physicians were asked to name hospitals they consider best in their specialty for the toughest cases, also were factored in. For the full list of metro area rankings, visit www.usnews.com/hospitals.

For more information, please contact Lauren Ward via email at WardL@lourdesnet.org or via phone at (856) 705-1375.



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