Friday, March 04, 2011

Health Grades list of America's top 50 hospitals

This is a joke. Via Skeptical Scalpel:


Let’s say I live in New York City and get sick. No hospitals in the states of New York or Connecticut made the top 50 list. My choices for hospital care are either the aforementioned Hackensack University Medical Center or the Community Medical Center of Tom’s River, both in New Jersey. I have never set foot in either place. They might be great hospitals. But I think I’ll take my chances at Columbia Presbyterian, Cornell or NYU.
Do you live in St. Louis? Sorry, no top 50 hospitals there. But you can go to the only hospital in Missouri on the list, St. Luke’s Hospital in Chesterfield. Pennsylvania? Sorry, no top 50 hospitals in Pittsburgh or Philadelphia but there are four in the Allentown-Bethlehem-Scranton area. Boston? Too bad. No Massachusetts hospital is good enough to be included in the HealthGrades Top 50 list. I hope Mass General, Deaconess and the Brigham don’t have to shut down.


Health Grades claims the ranking is based on severity adjusted outcome data. That severity adjustment, as many know, depends on how creative a coder you are.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Due to a series of unfortunate events, just let me add, I know, personally, and sadly, that I could have gotten less invasive, less disfiguring surgery at a major medical teaching hospital. It was cancer, however, and they didn't get me in soon enough, and I went elsewhere. I still struggle with this. :(