PROVENA SAINT JOSEPH MEDICAL CENTER RATED IN TOP 5% NATIONALLY FOR STROKE & PULMONARY; TOP 10% NATIONALLY FOR CARDIAC SURGERY

Specialty Excellence Award from Leading Healthcare Independent Ratings Organization

Joliet, IL (October 13, 2009) – A study issued today by HealthGrades, the leading independent healthcare ratings organization, finds that Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center has once again been ranked among the top 5 percent in the nation for Stroke care (for the third year in a row) and Pulmonary Care (for the fourth year in a row). In addition, Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center also has been ranked among the top 10 percent in the nation for Cardiac Surgery for the second consecutive year.

The nation’s nearly 5,000 nonfederal hospitals were all included in HealthGrades’ sweeping study, which examined mortality rates and complication rates from government data from 2006, 2007 and 2008.

In addition, Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center has been ranked among the top 10 hospitals in Illinois for Cardiac Surgery, Stroke, Overall Pulmonary Services and Critical Care.

“We take great pride in the quality of care we provide our patients, and their well being is the best achievement. These awards, however, recognize our commitment to excellence, and we are so please to again be named among the best,” said Jeffrey Brickman, FACHE, System Senior Vice President and President and CEO of Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center. “We are dedicated to bringing state-of-the-art technology, compassionate care and best practices to the communities we serve as the County Regional Medical Center.”

The HealthGrades twelfth annual Hospital Quality in America study, the largest annual report of its kind, analyzed patient outcomes from approximately 40 million Medicare hospitalization records.

Top-performing hospitals had dramatically lower mortality rates than other hospitals, according to the study. For the 17 procedures and diagnoses for which HealthGrades analyzed mortality rates, patients at top hospitals had a 72 percent lower chance of dying when compared with the lowest-performing hospitals, and a 52 percent lower chance of dying when compared to the U.S. national average.

Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center is also recognized by HealthGrades for achieving the following ratings and awards:

Cardiac:
· Recipient of the HealthGrades Cardiac Surgery Excellence Award™ - 2 years in a row (2009 & 2010)
· Five-Star Rated for Coronary Bypass Surgery - 2 years in a row (2009 & 2010)
· Five-Star Rated for Valve Replacement Surgery - 2 years in a row (2009 & 2010)
· Five-Star Rated for Treatment of Heart Attack - 4 years in a row (2007 - 2010)
· Five-Star Rated for Treatment of Heart Failure - 4 years in a row (2007 - 2010)

Stroke:
· Recipient of the HealthGrades Stroke Care Excellence Award™ - 2 years in a row (2009 & 2010)
· Five-Star Rated for Treatment of Stroke - 3 years in a row (2008 - 2010)

Pulmonary:
· Recipient of the HealthGrades Pulmonary Care Excellence Award™ - 5 years in a row (2006 - 2010)
· Five-Star Rated for Overall Pulmonary Services - 5 years in a row (2006 - 2010)
· Five-Star Rated for Treatment of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease - 5 years in a row (2006 - 2010)
· Five-Star Rated for Treatment of Pneumonia - 8 years in a row (2003 - 2010)

Gastrointestinal:
· Five-Star Rated for Treatment of GI Bleed - 2 years in a row (2009 & 2010)

Critical Care:
· Five-Star Rated for Treatment of Sepsis in 2010
· Five-Star Rated for Treatment of Respiratory Failure in 2010
· Five-Star Rated for Treatment of Diabetic Acidosis and Coma - 2 years in a row (2009 & 2010)

By implementing and adhering to evidence-based practices and standard protocols, Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center continues to provide the highest quality patient care and achieve some of the best outcomes in the nation. In 2009, PSJMC earned accreditation as the region’s only Primary Stroke Center and also as a Chest Pain Center.

The Joint Commission’s Primary Stroke Certification program – the nation’s first - was developed in 2003 with collaboration from the American Stroke Association, and is based on recommendations from the Brain Attack Coalition. This Certification is one of seven advanced programs The Joint Commission offers and requires certified hospitals to meet the requirements for Disease-Specific Care Certification plus additional, clinically specific requirements and expectations.

“We’re very proud to have earned these accreditations,” added Mr. Brickman. “As recently as five years ago, stroke patients and others in need of critical neurosurgical care in our area were forced to go elsewhere for treatment. Since then, our team of exceptional physicians and nurses have brought not only life-saving services back to the area, but have done so in such a high-quality way that our program boasts some of the most advanced capabilities available in the entire county and has been recognized for excellence.”

“Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center demonstrated that its stroke care program follows national standards and guidelines that can significantly improve outcomes for stroke patients,” said Jean E. Range, M.S., R.N., C.P.H.Q., executive director, Disease-Specific Care Certification, Joint Commission.

Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center’s multi-specialty neurosurgeons and clinical care teams diagnose and treat central nervous system disorders including head and spinal cord injuries, epilepsy, strokes, tumors, aneurysms and multiple sclerosis. The Medical Center’s affiliation with the University of Illinois at Chicago allowed reinstatement in 2004 of 24/7 neurosurgery coverage to Will County, which includes comprehensive services like state-of-the-art biplane technology for stroke treatment, as well as rehabilitation and support groups to ensure a return to functional lifestyle.

Full accreditation of the Chest Pain Center with PCI (percutaneous coronary intervention) was awarded by the Society of Chest Pain Centers and Providers (SCPCP). An accredited Chest Pain Center with PCI means that a hospital has dedicated interventional cardiologists, and cardiology and emergency personnel trained in rapid response and treatment of heart attacks, which ensures reduced heart muscle damage. The accreditation is only awarded to facilities that have made a commitment to providing patients with consistent quality in the delivery of emergency care based on national guidelines established by leaders in cardiovascular and emergency medicine. Accreditation is awarded for a three-year period. Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center had initially earned the accreditation in 2006.

"As an Accredited Chest Pain Center, Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center ensures that patients who come to us with chest pain or discomfort are given the immediate treatment necessary to avoid as much heart damage as possible,” said Mr. Brickman. Protocol-based procedures developed by leading experts in cardiac care to reduce time-to-treatment in the critical early stages of a heart attack are part of Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center’s overall cardiac care service.

HealthGrades Ratings
HealthGrades rates hospitals independently based on data that hospitals submit to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. No hospital can opt in or out of being rated, and no hospital pays to be rated.

For 28 procedures and treatments, HealthGrades issues star ratings that reflect the mortality and complication rates for each category of care. Hospitals receiving a 5-star rating have mortality or complication rates that are below the national average, to a statistically significant degree. A 3-star rating means the hospital performs as expected. One-star ratings indicate the hospital’s mortality or complication rates in that procedure or treatment are statistically higher than average. Because the risk profiles of patient populations at hospitals are not alike, HealthGrades risk-adjusts the data to allow for apples-to-apples comparisons.

More information on today’s HealthGrades study, including the complete methodology, can be found at www.healthgrades.com. Further information about Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center’s programs and services can be found at www.provena.org/stjoes.

About Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center
Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center serves Will County and the southwest Chicago suburbs, providing the area’s only 24/7 neurosciences program, advanced cardiac care with a world-class open heart program, family-centered obstetrics, a Level II Emergency Department that has been nationally recognized for eliminating wait, and leading-edge procedures such as Biplane and Trilogy. Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center is part of Mokena, Illinois-based Provena Health. Provena Health is a Catholic health system that includes six hospitals, 17 long-term care and senior residential facilities, 36 clinics, five home health agencies, hospice, private duty, and other health-related activities operating in Illinois and Indiana. Provena Health ministries are sponsored by the Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart, the Servants of the Holy Heart of Mary and the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas.