Inova Health System Hospitals Receive Top Rankings for Cardiac, Stroke and GI Services

HealthGrades Study Names Inova Alexandria and Inova Fairfax Hospitals for Quality Care

Falls Church, VA – (October 13, 2009) – Inova Alexandria and Inova Fairfax hospitals today received top ratings for cardiac, stroke and gastrointestinal (GI) services by HealthGrades, an independent healthcare-ratings organization. The recognition is based on a HealthGrades study that analyzed patient outcomes throughout the nation’s 5,000 non-federal hospitals.

Inova Alexandria Hospital received a variety of 5-Star ratings and Inova Fairfax Hospital has been ranked the Best in Virginia for certain services for 2010.

Inova Alexandria Hospital

• Five-Star rated for Treatment of Heart Attack for two years in a row (2009-2010)
• Five-Star rated for Treatment of Heart Failure
• Five-Star rated for Valve-Replacement Surgery
• Recipient of HealthGrades’ Stroke Care Excellence Award for six years in a row (2005-2010), placing the hospital in the top 5% in the nation for treatment of stroke
• Ranked among the top 10% in the nation for GI Medical Treatment for two years in a row (2009-2010)

Inova Fairfax Hospital

• Ranked Best in Virginia for Cardiology Services for two years in a row (2009-2010)
• Ranked Best in Virginia for Treatment of Stroke for three years in a row (2008-2010)
• Recipient of HealthGrades’ Stroke Care Excellence Award for five years in a row (2006-2010)
• Ranked Best in Virginia for GI Medical Treatment for two years in a row (2009-2010)
• Recipient of HealthGrades’ Gastrointestinal Care Excellence Award for six years in a row (2005-2010)

According to HealthGrades, top-performing hospitals had dramatically lower mortality rates than other hospitals. Both Inova Alexandria and Inova Fairfax hospitals have been designated as Primary Stroke Centers by accrediting agency The Joint Commission, and have highly experienced medical teams that specialize in cardiac services. Through the Inova Heart and Vascular Institute, which provides services at all five Inova hospitals, doctors and surgeons perform 5,000 diagnostic and interventional cardiac catheterizations annually and complete more than 1,700 cardiac surgeries each year.

HealthGrades rates hospitals independently based on data that hospitals submit to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The study analyzed patient outcomes in nearly 40 million Medicare hospitalization records from 5,000 hospitals from 2006 to 2008.

The 2010 hospital ratings and more information about the study 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.