Hoag rated among top U.S. hospitals

Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian announced Monday it was ranked among the top 5% of hospitals in the country in several specialties by Health Grades Inc., a national healthcare ratings company.

The Newport Beach hospital’s orthopedic care, joint replacement and gastrointestinal care programs were among the elite 5%. Hoag’s stroke care, critical care and general surgery units were in the top 10%. The six areas were further honored by the company’s Specialty Excellence Awards. Sixteen other specialty areas were given five-star ratings — which means procedures and diagnoses in the fields are better than the company expected — solidifying the hospital’s reputation among similar hospitals.

“It’s the perfect storm of good things happening here at Hoag, if you will,” Chief Quality Officer Dr. Jack Cox said. “The things we’ve seen here are what we’ve seen in the better providers throughout the country.”

The secret to Hoag’s success is no secret. Doctors and staff often applaud the hospital for its willingness to integrate new technology and new programs as seen necessary.

Cox said it’s multifaceted, with the board of directors, the community, doctors, nurses and administration responsible for the hospital’s high marks.

This is the first year the hospital’s gastrointestinal care unit received the specialty award. Medical director of the advanced endoscopy center, Dr. Phuong Nguyen, said the application of new endoscopic equipment allows doctors to perform more specialized procedures beyond the general scope of a regular unit. One of the specialty’s newest instruments is the Barrx, used in the detection and treatment of precancerous conditions of the esophagus, called Barrett’s Esophagus.

“The uniqueness of the center is that it provides the whole spectrum of GI services in a very new, well-structured, state-of-the-art lab,” said Nguyen, who specialized in endoscopic ultrasounds while working at the university level.

When patients are at their sickest, they’re often treated by doctors and nurses in Hoag’s critical care unit. Dr. Herb Rogove came to the hospital more than five years ago to build a 24-hour-a-day program. Now the unit provides 24/7 coverage, Rogove said.

“Building the team and adapting ways in which we treat patients based on evidence-based medicine” is one way the unit excels, he said.

They’ve also reduced the number of infections throughout the hospital by working with a committee on creating blanket standards. They’ve also worked on decreasing the time patients spend in the unit while increasing their risks of survival.

The grades are part of Health Grades’ ninth annual Hospital Quality in America Study, which compares more than 5,000 hospitals around the country.

To check Hoag’s ratings, visit www.healthgrades.com.