Independent Analysis Based on Complication Rates and Neonatal Mortality Rates
Maternity care at Medical Center Hospital is among the top 5% in the nation according to a new study issued today by HealthGrades, the independent ratings organization. The study used state-government data to compare hospitals in terms of complication rates for vaginal and C-section deliveries as well neonatal mortality.
As a result, the hospital received the 2010/2011 HealthGrades Maternity Care Excellence AwardTM. Medical Center Hospital is the only hospital in the Odessa/ Midland Region to receive this designation.
As a group, top-rated hospitals by HealthGrades had 51% fewer maternal complications for vaginal deliveries and 74% fewer maternal complications for C-sections when compared with the poorest-rated hospitals.
The study examined all hospitals in the 19 states that collect and publish outcomes data from hospitals, 1,546 in all. The study found that if all hospitals, among the 19 states studied, performed at the level of best-performing hospitals, 176,654 women may have avoided developing one or more in-hospital major obstetric complications during the period studied (2006 - 2008).
"Objective data shows that hospitals can vary in terms of complication rates and neonatal mortality rates," said Rick May, MD, a vice president with HealthGrades and co-author of the study. "The hospitals in the top 10% in the nation for maternity care should be proud not only of the outstanding care they deliver, but also for the quality benchmarks they are setting for other hospitals to follow."
For this analysis by HealthGrades, hospitals were evaluated using the following criteria:
- Maternal complication rate among women undergoing single live-born vaginal or C-section deliveries
- Maternal complication rate among women undergoing "patient-choice" or non-clinically indicated C-sections
- Newborn volume adjusted for low birth weight
- Newborn mortality rate stratified into eight birth weight categories
The complete methodology for the HealthGrades Maternity Care study can be found at www.healthgrades.com.
