Inova Alexandria Hospital Ranked in Top 5% for Women’s Health

Study Shows Hospital Among Best in the Nation Four Years in a Row

ALEXANDRIA, VA  – (June 30, 2009) – Inova Alexandria Hospital has received the 2009-2010 Women’s Health Excellence Award™ from HealthGrades, an independent healthcare-ratings organization, based on a newly released study detailing patient outcomes. This is the fourth year in a row that Inova Alexandria Hospital has received this distinction.

Hospitals that receive this award rank among the top 5% of all hospitals nationwide when it comes to providing care to women in three areas: women’s medicine, which includes heart attack, congestive heart failure, pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and stroke; women’s cardiovascular procedures; and women’s bone and joint health, including knee- and hip-replacement surgeries, spinal surgeries and hip repair.

“The commitment to quality care, which our nurses, physicians and staff deliver to our patients each day, makes this award possible,” said Christine Candio, CEO, Inova Alexandria Hospital. “We’re proud that our hospital continues to rank as one of the best in the nation for clinical excellence.”

According the Sixth Annual HealthGrades Women’s Health in American Hospitals study, released today by HealthGrades, wide gaps in quality care for women persist among hospitals.  The study, which analyzes patient outcomes for the hospital treatment of 16 procedures and diagnoses concerning women’s health and maternity care, finds that top-performing hospitals improved their mortality and morbidity 33% above poorly performing hospitals from 2005 through 2007. Among eligible hospitals, the study found that a total of 18,089 lives could have been saved and 6,849 complications avoided if all eligible hospitals performed at the level of the best-performing hospitals in women’s health.

“As our population ages, more women are affected and hospitalized by chronic diseases like congestive heart failure, and variations in quality do exist between men and women,” said Dr. Rick May, senior physician consultant and a study co-author. “The hospitals that have been identified as Women’s Health Excellence Award recipients are clearly performing at a superior level of quality. Women have a choice in healthcare and should do their homework before choosing a hospital.”

HealthGrades analyzed more than 2.6 million hospitalizations using Medicare data from all 50 states from 2005 through 2007.

The full HealthGrades study can be found at www.healthgrades.com.

Health Grades, Inc. (Nasdaq: HGRD – News) is the leading independent healthcare-ratings organization, providing quality ratings, profiles and cost information on the nation’s hospitals, physicians, nursing homes and prescription drugs. Millions of patients and many of the nation’s largest employers, health plans and hospitals rely on HealthGrades’ quality ratings, advisory services and decision-support resources. The HealthGrades network of Web sites, including HealthGrades.com and WrongDiagnosis.com, is a top-10 health property according to ComScore and is the Internet’s leading destination for patients choosing providers. More information on the company can be found at www.healthgrades.com.

Inova Health System is a not-for-profit healthcare system based in Northern Virginia that consists of hospitals and other health services, including emergency- and urgent-care centers, home care, nursing homes, mental health and blood donor services, and wellness classes. Governed by a voluntary board of community members, Inova’s mission is to improve the health of the diverse community it serves through excellence in patient care, education and research. Inova provides a healthy environment for its patients, families, visitors, staff and physicians by prohibiting tobacco use on its campuses.