Saint Anne’s Hospital recognized for pulmonary care once again

Fall River, MA – Saint Anne’s Hospital is one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Pulmonary Care, according to a national study by Healthgrades, the leading online resource for information about physicians and hospitals.

For the third consecutive year, Saint Anne’s Hospital has earned this distinction for care and treatment of the conditions of the lungs and airways that is statistically better than expected in treating these diseases such as COPD and pneumonia.

Saint Anne’s Hospital was also recognized by Healthgrades for these related achievements:
• Five-star recipient for treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease for 4 years in a row (2017-2020)
• Five-star recipient for treatment of pneumonia for 6 years in a row (2015-2020)
• Five-star recipient for treatment of respiratory failure in 2020

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, plus outcomes in appendectomy and bariatric surgery using all-payer data provided by 15 states. Saint Anne’s achievement in caring for patients with lung-related illnesses and conditions is part of findings released recently in the Healthgrades 2020 Report to the Nation.

The new report demonstrates the importance of hospital quality to both hospital leaders and consumers. For example, from 2016-2018, patients treated at hospitals receiving the America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Pulmonary Care Award have, on average, a 53.3% lower risk of dying than if they were treated in hospitals that did not receive the award.*

Saint Anne’s President Michael Bushell credits the hospital’s team of pulmonary specialists, including physicians and respiratory therapists, for the outstanding track record in caring for patients with respiratory illnesses and conditions.

“This level of care is especially noteworthy in the Fall River-New Bedford area,” he said, “where our 2018 Community Needs Assessment found that the share of those who have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Fall River (10.3%) and New Bedford (10.1%) is nearly double that of the state (5.3%) and nation (5.7%).”

Bushell also noted that the hospital has invested in a number of important technologies, such as non-invasive ventilators, and implemented numerous processes and patient education initiatives to ensure patient safety and optimum outcomes. Some of these include a daily weaning protocol from ventilators; respiratory staff assistance and monitoring of Emergency Department patients who require moderate sedation; enrollment of patients in smoking cessation programs; and development of a specialized patient education booklet for patients with COPD.

“As consumers navigate their health, it is important to consider a number of factors, including hospital quality, before deciding where to access care,” said Brad Bowman, MD, chief medical officer at Healthgrades. “Healthgrades’ America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Pulmonary Care recognizes those hospitals that have proven their dedication to quality care and exceptional outcomes over time. We applaud their efforts and achievement.”

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.