Inova Fairfax Hospital Ranked Among the Nation’s Best by U.S. News & World Report

Inova Hospital Named in Three Specialties; Gynecology Services Among Top 25

Falls Church, VA  – (July 16, 2009) – Inova Fairfax Hospital has again been ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of “America’s Best Hospitals.” The hospital was selected among the best in three specialties, including a top 25 ranking for Gynecology. Nationally, this year’s rankings for Inova Fairfax Hospital are as follows:

Specialty                      Ranking Among Top 50
Gynecology                               25
Urology                                      33
Heart and Heart Surgery     49

“The fact that Inova Fairfax Hospital is consistently ranked among the best hospitals in the nation is a testament to our physicians, nurses and staff, and their dedication to providing world-class patient care,” said Patrick Christiansen, Administrator, Inova Fairfax Hospital Tower and Inova Heart and Vascular Institute. “We want our patients to know that we’ve made a commitment to provide them with the best care possible – not just at this hospital, but at every Inova facility in Northern Virginia.”

U.S. News uses rigorous standards in compiling its list of the nation’s best hospitals. Hospitals are ranked by specialty and not by specific procedures. Of the 4,861 hospitals evaluated, only 174 scored high enough to be ranked in at least one specialty.

In 12 of the 16 specialties, U.S. News ranked hospitals on hard data. Each specialty had its own eligibility requirements. A hospital must have seen a specified minimum number of Medicare inpatients who had certain conditions or underwent certain procedures during 2005, 2006 and 2007, or the hospital must have been recommended by at least one physician in recent U.S. News surveys. Hospitals then received a numerical assessment based on reputation, death rate, patient safety and such care-related factors as nurse staffing and technology.

This is the thirteenth time in the past 14 years that Inova Fairfax Hospital has been ranked among the nation’s best hospitals. The 2009 edition of U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Hospitals” will be available on newsstands Tuesday, July 21.

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.