Achievement is part of Healthgrades 2020 Report to the Nation

(BEREA, KY - Sept. 17, 2020) – Saint Joseph Berea is 5-star rated for treatment of sepsis in 2020, and treatment of respiratory failure for the second year in a row, according to a national report released by Healthgrades, the leading online resource for information about physicians and hospitals. This achievement is part of the Healthgrades 2020 Report to the Nation, which underscores the importance of hospital quality to both consumers and hospital leaders. Every year, Healthgrades evaluates hospital performance at nearly 4,500 hospitals nationwide for 32 of the most common inpatient procedures and conditions using Medicare data, and additionally analyzes outcomes in appendectomy and bariatric surgery using all-payer data provided by 15 states.

Variation in care has a significant impact on health outcomes. From 2016-2018, if all hospitals as a group performed similarly to hospitals receiving 5-stars as a group, on average, 220,019 lives could potentially have been saved and 149,403 complications could potentially have been avoided. A 5-star rating indicates that Saint Joseph Berea’s clinical outcomes are statistically significantly better than expected when treating the condition or performing the procedure being evaluated.

“At Saint Joseph Berea, our team of hospital employees working with the medical staff continually aims to provide excellent treatment for our patients,” said John Yanes, president, Saint Joseph Berea. “These two 5-star ratings from Healthgrades show that our hospital continues to meet the goals we set for ourselves and our patients. We are proud to receive this national recognition.”

“Consumers have many choices when it comes to choosing a hospital where to receive care and the choice can be a matter of life and death,” said Brad Bowman, MD, chief medical officer at Healthgrades. “The hospitals that have been recognized as 5-star rated for specific procedures and conditions stand out above the rest for the ongoing dedication and commitment to providing exceptional care to their patients.”

For its analysis, Healthgrades evaluated approximately 45 million Medicare inpatient records for nearly 4,500 short-term acute care hospitals nationwide to assess hospital performance in 32 common conditions and procedures and evaluated outcomes in appendectomy and bariatric surgery using all-payer data provided by 15 states. Healthgrades recognizes a hospital’s quality achievements for cohort-specific performance, specialty area performance, and overall clinical quality. Individual procedure or condition cohorts are designated as 5-star (statistically significantly better than expected), 3-star (not statistically different from expected) and 1-star (statistically significantly worse than expected) categories. The complete Healthgrades 2020 Report to the Nation and detailed study methodology, can be found at https://partners.healthgrades.com/healthgrades-quality-solutions/healthgrades-quality-awards/.

About CHI Saint Joseph Health
CHI Saint Joseph Health, part of Catholic Health Initiatives, is one of the largest and most comprehensive health systems in the Commonwealth of Kentucky with 135 locations in 20 counties, including hospitals, physician groups, clinics, primary care centers, specialty institutes and home health agencies. In total, the health system serves patients in 35 counties statewide. CHI Saint Joseph Health is dedicated to building healthier communities by elevating patient care through an integrated physical and behavioral health delivery system. CHI Saint Joseph Health embodies a strong mission and faith-based heritage and works through local partnerships to expand access to care in the communities it serves.

About Saint Joseph Berea

Saint Joseph Berea is a 25-bed critical access hospital located in Berea, KY. Established in 1898 on the grounds of Berea College, the facility serves residents of Madison, Estill, Garrard, Jackson and Rockcastle counties. Saint Joseph Berea recognizes the importance of family, friends and familiar surroundings in the healing process and provides a breadth of services so that getting first-rate care doesn’t have to mean being far from home.