SEATTLE – (Feb. 21, 2017) – Virginia Mason announced today it has received the America’s 50 Best Hospitals Award from Healthgrades, a leading online consumer resource for comprehensive information about hospitals and physicians.  

Being named one of the top 50 hospitals in the nation places Virginia Mason among the top 1 percent of more than 4,500 hospitals nationwide for consistent, year-over-year superior clinical performance across a broad spectrum of care as measured by Healthgrades.

“Patients are first and foremost in everything we do,” said Chairman and CEO Gary S. Kaplan, MD. “Quality and safety are foundational to the culture at Virginia Mason. This recognition by Healthgrades acknowledges the impact of the dedication to excellence throughout our organization and underscores that we are focused on the right work.”

This is the first time Virginia Mason has been named a top 50 hospital by Healthgrades, but it was ranked among the 100 best hospitals in 2014, 2015 and 2016. Also, Virginia Mason has received Healthgrades’ Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence for seven consecutive years.

Virginia Mason is the only recipient of the 50 Best Hospitals Award this year in the Pacific Northwest (defined as the states of Washington, Oregon and Idaho by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency).

The award winners are determined by Healthgrades’ analysis of risk-adjusted mortality and complication rates for common procedures and conditions, including pneumonia, heart failure, sepsis, stroke and respiratory failure. From 2013 through 2015 (the study period for this award), if all other hospitals, had performed at the level of Virginia Mason and the other award recipients, an estimated 176,473 lives could potentially have been saved, Healthgrades announced.  

“Our analysis of clinical outcomes shows that there is tremendous variation in care, so it’s important for consumers to research and select a hospital that will provide high-quality care,” said Brad Bowman, chief medical officer, Healthgrades.

Teams at Virginia Mason use tools of the Virginia Mason Production System, the organization’s management methodology, to reduce variability, improve quality and safety, and enhance the overall patient experience. Patients often participate in workshops designed to improve the way tasks are performed at Virginia Mason.

“We view patients and their families as our partners as we co-design health care processes together, based on their input and needs,” Dr. Kaplan said.

To determine its top 50 hospital award winners, Healthgrades analyzed three years of Medicare Provider Analysis and Review (MedPAR) data to produce a detailed report on mortality and complication rates in U.S. hospitals. For the 2017 award, approximately 45 million Medicare patient records for years 2013 through 2015 were analyzed for nearly 4,500 short-term, acute care hospitals nationwide, assessing hospital performance relative to 32 common conditions and procedures. Healthgrades’ evaluation adjusts for risk factors that influence patient outcomes. These may include age, sex, specific procedure performed and co-morbid conditions, such as high blood pressure and diabetes. The outcomes reflect clinical-based measures, including in-hospital complications or in-hospital and 30-day post-admission mortality. For more information, read the Healthgrades' white paper.

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 470 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 United States 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 Virginia Mason Memorial, a 226-bed hospital serving the Yakima Valley in central Washington since 1950. Memorial online: YakimaMemorial.org

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