Olympia Medical Center received high scores in two studies released recently that gauge quality of health care, patient outcomes, and the quality of the hospital’s emergency room.

Olympia Medical Center has been named a top hospital for the quality of its patient care and its emergency room. (photo courtesy of Olympia Medical Center)

Olympia Medical Center’s emergency medical care was found to be among the top five percent in the nation, according to a study released by HealthGrades, an independent healthcare ratings organization. Olympia received HealthGrades’ 2010 Emergency Medicine Excellence Award as a result of the study.

“This is a true testament to the great work that our physicians, practitioners and employees do every day in our emergency room,” said John Calderone, CEO of Olympia Medical Center. “Many people have no idea how difficult it can be to work in the ER environment until they actually spend time there either as a caregiver or a patient.”

Approximately 4,900 hospitals throughout the country were examined for mortality rates in 11 of the most common emergency conditions for Medicare patients. Olympia Medical Center was one of only 255 hospitals to receive the award nationwide, and one of 26 hospitals in California.

“For our emergency department to receive this level of recognition for their accomplishments is truly wonderful to see, because they certainly deserve it”, Calderone added.

The first annual HealthGrades Emergency Medicine in American Hospitals study found that Olympia had a 39 percent lower mortality rate for the conditions studied. Olympia and the other hospitals recognized in the top tier improved their patient outcomes by 16 percent over the three-year time period that was studied. All other hospitals improved at a rate of 10 percent.

HealthGrades’ hospital ratings and awards reflect the track record of patient outcomes at hospitals in the form of mortality and complication rates, and are based on data that hospitals submit to the federal government.

Olympia Medical Center also scored very well in an assessment by the California Hospital Assessment and Reporting Taskforce (CHART), a statewide consumer reporting agency, and received a Certificate of Excellence. The hospital achieved “superior” or “above average” results across the majority of outcomes publicly reported by CHART. The hospital did not receive “below average” or “poor” scores on any CHART measure.

“These findings reflect the dedication of our hard working physicians and staff, Calderone added. “We are working very hard to continue the quality of patient care and the safety of patients who come here. I am very proud of the quality department and the physicians for embarking on this transparency of quality outcomes.”

For information on the results, visit www.calhospitalcompare.org. For information on Olympia Medical Center, call 310-657-5900, or visit www.olympiamc.com.