SEATTLE – (Aug. 2, 2016) – Virginia Mason is identified as one of the region’s best hospitals for 2016-17 by U.S. News & World Report, which announced its annual Best Hospitals rankings today.

Virginia Mason is ranked No. 2 in the Seattle Metro Area for the second straight year.

Also, Virginia Mason is designated as “high performing” in two adult specialties (gastroenterology/GI surgery and gynecology) and in five common adult procedures (colon cancer surgery, heart bypass surgery, heart failure treatment, hip replacement and knee replacement).

This is the seventh consecutive year the medical center has been in the Best Hospitals spotlight.

“This recognition by U.S. News reflects the collective commitment to quality, safety and excellence that distinguishes teams of physicians, nurses and other caregivers across our organization,” said Virginia Mason Chairman and CEO Gary S. Kaplan, MD.

U.S. News rates and ranks about 5,000 hospitals on how well they perform in multiple categories, such as preventing readmissions, infections and prolonged hospitalizations; the number of times a procedure is performed; patient satisfaction with how doctors and nurses communicate with patients; and patient satisfaction with discharge information.

“Our organization has a nearly 100-year legacy of providing the highest quality care and our relentless pursuit of a perfect experience for every individual is our highest priority,” Dr. Kaplan said.

The annual U.S. News Best Hospitals rankings, which debuted in 1990, are intended to inform the public about hospitals that deliver outstanding care across 25 specialties, procedures and conditions. This year, 153 hospitals are ranked nationally in at least one specialty, while 1,628 received a high-performing rating in one or more specialties, procedures or conditions. In rankings by state and metro area, U.S. News recognized hospitals that were high-performing across multiple areas of care.

“U.S. News evaluates nearly 5,000 hospitals nationwide,” said Ben Harder, chief of health analysis at U.S. News. “A hospital that emerged from our analysis as one of the best has much to be proud of.”

Hospitals do not pay to be evaluated for nor included in the ratings program. Best Hospitals was produced by U.S. News with RTI International, a leading research organization based in Research Triangle Park, N.C.

About Virginia Mason Health System Virginia Mason, founded in 1920, is a nonprofit regional health care system based in Seattle that serves the Pacific Northwest. In the Puget Sound region, the system includes 336-bed Virginia Mason Hospital; a primary and specialty care group practice of more than 500 physicians; regional medical centers in Seattle, Bainbridge Island, Bellevue, Federal Way, Kirkland, Issaquah and Lynnwood; Bailey-Boushay House, the first skilled-nursing and outpatient chronic care management program in the U.S. designed and built specifically to meet the needs of people with HIV/AIDS; Benaroya Research Institute, which is internationally recognized for autoimmune disease research; and Virginia Mason Institute, which trains health care professionals and others from around the world in the Virginia Mason Production System, an innovative management methodology for continually improving quality, safety and efficiency. Virginia Mason online: VirginiaMason.org

Virginia Mason Health System also includes Yakima-based Memorial Family of Services and Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital, a 226-bed facility serving the Yakima Valley in Central Washington since 1950. Memorial Family of Services comprises primary care practices and specialty care services, including high quality cardiac care, a continuum of cancer care, hospice care, and advanced services for children with special health care needs. Memorial online: YakimaMemorial.org

Media Contact:
Gale Robinette
Media Relations Manager
Virginia Mason Health System
(206) 341-1509
gale.robinette@VirginiaMason.org