North Florida Regional Medical Center Receives General Surgery Excellence Award™

HealthGrades Names Hospital Best in Gainesville Region

June 15, 2010, Gainesville, FL – North Florida Regional Medical Center (NFRMC) has received the 2010 HealthGrades General Surgery Excellence Award.  This designation places NFRMC among the top 10 percent of hospitals in the nation for general surgery. NFRMC has been the recipient of the HealthGrades General Surgery Excellence Award™ for four consecutive years.  In addition to its General Surgery Excellence Award ™, HealthGrades ranks the NFRMC Best in the Gainesville Region for General Surgery for 2010.*

North Florida Regional Healthcare is committed to offering quality care from dedicated clinical providers using advanced technology, according to Chief Operating Officer Matt Davis.  The award from HealthGrades comes just as work has begun on a major expansion of critical care service areas in the 325-bed hospital.

“We could not be more pleased by this honor,” Matt Davis says.  “This recognition comes at a time of significant growth for us.  A $35 million expansion means we can increase the number of patients we care for with a level of expertise recognized as the finest.  In surgery, we have achieved one of the highest ratings possible.”

Among patients who have recently chosen North Florida Regional Medical Center for their surgery who are speaking up about the experience is Gainesville resident Kinnon Thomas.  “I’ve actually chosen North Florida Regional twice,” Thomas explains.  “Four years ago, I brought myself to the ER and received great care to prevent a heart attack.  When I needed surgery this year, I knew I could count on medical care that is excellent and delivered with kindness.  That is what I received.”

Another patient speaking up about her surgery experience at North Florida Regional is Pat Klaus. “I chose North Florida Regional because I could select my surgeon who was with me from pre-op through post-op recovery,” Klaus says.  “All the nurses and providers who cared for me were crazy great!  Caring, compassionate, responsive medical professionals and excellent pain management are in place at the hospital.”

HealthGrades, the leading independent healthcare ratings organization in the nation, provides quality ratings, profiles and cost information on the nation’s more than 5,000 hospitals. Its hospital ratings are based on patient outcomes, both while patients are hospitalized and following their release, using Medicare-reported data. 

HealthGrades’ study of patient outcomes finds that – across all procedures in which complications were studied -- patients at 5-star rated hospitals have a 79.69 percent lower chance of experiencing one or more in-hospital complications compared to a 1-star hospital.  Across all procedures studied, there was a 61.22 percent lower chance of experiencing one or more in hospital complications in a 5-star rates hospital compared to the U.S. hospital average.

“We appreciate this recognition from HealthGrades for our quality of surgical care,” Matt Davis says.  “We are most proud of the physicians and other providers who make that possible.” 

About North Florida Regional Medical Center:
North Florida Regional is a 325-bed, full-service medical and surgical acute care center serving 14 counties and offering comprehensive cardiovascular care, oncology, orthopedics, neurosciences, weight loss surgery and treatment,  women’s health and wound therapy, among other services.  A proven leader, North Florida Regional Medical Center is fully accredited and is certified as a Primary Stroke Center by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organization.  North Florida Regional Medical Center is a member of Hospital Corporation of America (HCA).  Based in Nashville, Tennessee, HCA remains the nation’s leading provider of healthcare services, composed of locally managed facilities that include approximately 166 hospitals and 112 outpatient centers in 20 states and England.