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Two Montgomery County Hospitals Named Among State’s Best U.S. News & World Report releases rankings BY CHARLIE WRIGHT | Published: 2019-08-01 10:48 Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring VIA U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT Digital news and information outlet U.S. News & World Report released its annual hospital rankings this week, with two county hospitals earning top 10 selections among Maryland entities. Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring and Suburban Hospital in Bethesda led the way for Montgomery County, tying for No. 10 in Maryland. Both also finished 10th in the Washington region rankings. U.S. News & World Report puts out a nationwide Best Hospitals list, which can be sorted by region and state, along with 12 specialty rankings, including Cancer, Neurosurgery and Orthopedics. The specialties are broken down further into specific categories within the ranking, so the Cardiology and Heart Surgery category can also be sorted by performance regarding Heart Failure or Heart Bypass Surgery. U.S. News updated its methodology for the 2019-20 edition. It added two measures pertaining to patient experience and enhanced its model to adjust for patient population, so hospitals treating sicker patients aren’t given harsher grades. “We periodically have revamped our measures to enhance the decision support our rankings and ratings provide to patients,” Ben Harder, managing editor and chief of health analysis at U.S. News, said in a statement. “… The new model provides a more comprehensive assessment that is useful to patients, families and their medical professionals.” Holy Cross was rated “high-performing” in three areas: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Heart Failure and Colon Cancer Surgery. The hospital scored high for nurse staffing. It received two stars out of five for patient experience. “This recognition by U.S. News & World Report reflects the dedication of our physicians, nurses and staff to consistently meeting and exceeding standards of clinical care for the benefit of patients,” Holy Cross Hospital President Louis Damiano said in a statement. Suburban Hospital matched Holy Cross with three high-performing areas, excelling in Heart Failure, Knee Replacement and Hip Replacement. Nurse staffing was also graded highly, and the hospital earned three stars for patient experience. “It’s always rewarding to be recognized by such a highly regarded hospital ranking organization,” Suburban Hospital President Jacky Schultz said. “The Suburban team – both the staff and physicians – takes justifiable pride in our numerous patient safety and quality achievements.” U.S. News reviewed 67 hospitals in Maryland, but only ranks the top 10. Hospitals beneath that mark are simply listed alphabetically. U.S. News graded nine other county entities. Adventist Healthcare had mixed results among its four hospitals. The Shady Grove Medical Center in Rockville was rated high-performing in Heart Failure, was considered very high for nurse staffing and received three stars for patient experience. Adventist’s Behavioral Health and Wellness Services facility and its Physical Health and Rehabilitation center, both in Rockville, had lower grades in nurse staffing. Neither was rated by patient experience. Washington Adventist Hospital in Takoma Park also rated lower in nurse staffing, while receiving two stars for patient experience. Holy Cross’s other county hospital in Germantown rated highly in nurse staffing, while receiving two stars for patient experience. MedStar Montgomery Medical Center in Olney graded poorly in nurse staffing and received two stars for patient experience. The facility provides addiction treatment and weight control services, according to the U.S. News overview. The National Institutes of Health Clinical Center in Bethesda scored very highly in nurse staffing, though no grade was given for patient experience. The teaching hospital provides addiction treatment services. St. Luke Hospital in Silver Spring scored very low in nurse staffing and didn’t receive a patient experience grade. Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda scored highly in nurse staffing, but also didn’t receive a patient experience grade. Charlie Wright can be reached at charlie.wright@bethesdamagazine.com
Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring
VIA U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT
Digital news and information outlet U.S. News & World Report released its annual hospital rankings this week, with two county hospitals earning top 10 selections among Maryland entities.
Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring and Suburban Hospital in Bethesda led the way for Montgomery County, tying for No. 10 in Maryland. Both also finished 10th in the Washington region rankings.
U.S. News & World Report puts out a nationwide Best Hospitals list, which can be sorted by region and state, along with 12 specialty rankings, including Cancer, Neurosurgery and Orthopedics.
The specialties are broken down further into specific categories within the ranking, so the Cardiology and Heart Surgery category can also be sorted by performance regarding Heart Failure or Heart Bypass Surgery.
U.S. News updated its methodology for the 2019-20 edition. It added two measures pertaining to patient experience and enhanced its model to adjust for patient population, so hospitals treating sicker patients aren’t given harsher grades.
“We periodically have revamped our measures to enhance the decision support our rankings and ratings provide to patients,” Ben Harder, managing editor and chief of health analysis at U.S. News, said in a statement. “… The new model provides a more comprehensive assessment that is useful to patients, families and their medical professionals.”
Holy Cross was rated “high-performing” in three areas: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Heart Failure and Colon Cancer Surgery.
The hospital scored high for nurse staffing. It received two stars out of five for patient experience.
“This recognition by U.S. News & World Report reflects the dedication of our physicians, nurses and staff to consistently meeting and exceeding standards of clinical care for the benefit of patients,” Holy Cross Hospital President Louis Damiano said in a statement.
Suburban Hospital matched Holy Cross with three high-performing areas, excelling in Heart Failure, Knee Replacement and Hip Replacement. Nurse staffing was also graded highly, and the hospital earned three stars for patient experience.
“It’s always rewarding to be recognized by such a highly regarded hospital ranking organization,” Suburban Hospital President Jacky Schultz said. “The Suburban team – both the staff and physicians – takes justifiable pride in our numerous patient safety and quality achievements.”
U.S. News reviewed 67 hospitals in Maryland, but only ranks the top 10. Hospitals beneath that mark are simply listed alphabetically. U.S. News graded nine other county entities.
Adventist Healthcare had mixed results among its four hospitals.
The Shady Grove Medical Center in Rockville was rated high-performing in Heart Failure, was considered very high for nurse staffing and received three stars for patient experience.
Adventist’s Behavioral Health and Wellness Services facility and its Physical Health and Rehabilitation center, both in Rockville, had lower grades in nurse staffing. Neither was rated by patient experience.
Washington Adventist Hospital in Takoma Park also rated lower in nurse staffing, while receiving two stars for patient experience.
Holy Cross’s other county hospital in Germantown rated highly in nurse staffing, while receiving two stars for patient experience.
MedStar Montgomery Medical Center in Olney graded poorly in nurse staffing and received two stars for patient experience. The facility provides addiction treatment and weight control services, according to the U.S. News overview.
The National Institutes of Health Clinical Center in Bethesda scored very highly in nurse staffing, though no grade was given for patient experience. The teaching hospital provides addiction treatment services. St. Luke Hospital in Silver Spring scored very low in nurse staffing and didn’t receive a patient experience grade.
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda scored highly in nurse staffing, but also didn’t receive a patient experience grade.
Charlie Wright can be reached at charlie.wright@bethesdamagazine.com