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Hoag rated among

top 5% of hospitals

Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian is among the top 5% of hospitals nationwide, according to independent healthcare rating company HealthGrades.

Hoag — one of 266 that received the Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence — was chosen from among nearly 5,000 hospitals in the nation that are not operated by the federal government, according to a Hoag news release.

The study used Medicare data to track in-hospital complications and deaths, ranking hospitals based on how well their patients recovered compared to how patients’ risk factors predicted they would fare.

“It’s certainly one of the more known assessments,” said Dr. Jack Cox, chief quality officer for the hospital. “They look at outcomes for specific clinical conditions, so it’s not a popularity contest.”

Specialty awards went to Hoag’s handling of stroke care, orthopedic care, joint replacement, gastrointestinal care, critical care and general surgery, each of which ranks in the top 10% or 5%.

Someone admitted to a hospital with the award is 28% less likely to die during the stay and 5% less likely to suffer a complication after surgery, said Andy Archer, a HealthGrades spokesman.

Archer said the company has published the awards for five years.

According to the HealthGrades website, Hoag has received them every year but 2005.

Staying on top requires constant improvement because hospitals are performing better across the board, Cox said. As a result, Hoag aims to be in the top 5% or 10% in all areas, he said.

“We’re constantly measuring, constantly looking to improve,” he said. “It takes qualified medical staff and a very qualified nursing staff working together to get outcomes like these.”

Trial postponed in

Hawks murder case

The death penalty murder trial of two Long Beach men accused of killing retired Newport Beach couple Tom and Jackie Hawks in 2004 by chaining them to the anchor of their yacht and throwing them overboard has been postponed until September.

At a hearing at Orange County Superior Court on Monday, defense attorneys for Skylar Deleon and John Fitzgerald Kennedy, both of Long Beach, asked for more time to prepare their case.

A new jury trial date was set for Sept. 17.

The jury trial was scheduled for Monday, but those involved in the trial said they expected the delay.