National study: KDMC #1 in Mississippi

                Brookhaven, MS (April 15, 2010) – HealthGrades, the leading independent healthcare ratings organization, published a study finding King’s Daughters Medical Center is number one in Mississippi and among the top five percent in the nation for Prostatectomy Services.

                This is the second year in a row (2010-2011) that King’s Daughters Medical Center received the HealthGrades Prostatectomy Excellence Award™.

                The nation’s nearly 5,000 hospitals were all included in this sweeping study which examined mortality rates and complication rates from government data over a three year period.

             “We utilize the latest surgical techniques and, as a result, we have excellent outcomes.

              Another strong part of our success is that we have the same operative crew on each prostatectomy as well as the same post operative nurses on the surgical floor. These important team members have gained a great deal of experience in the care of prostate cancer patients over the last 15 years,” says Dr. Jeff Clark.

             While Dr. Clark specializes in this operation, it is not the only treatment option offered by Brookhaven Urology. Dr. Clark and Dr. Boyd advise their patients on their best treatment options based on their age, co-morbidities, grade and stage of their cancer. Some patients will require a referral to other facilities if radiation or chemotherapy is required.

             “The art of medicine is finding the right treatment for the right patient. That is why Dr. Boyd and I spend extra time with our initial cancer consultations. We want to make sure the patient and his family understands all of the treatment options,” Dr. Clark added.

                “It is a great honor to be recognized with the prestigious 5 star award for quality,” says Alvin Hoover, CEO of King’s Daughters Medical Center. “This award reflects the stature of Dr. Jeff Clark and Dr. Jeffery Boyd among the urology community and puts KDMC at the top of all Mississippi hospitals, and among the elite providers of this service in the United States.”

                The Thirteenth Annual HealthGrades Hospital Quality in America study, the largest annual report of its kind, analyzed patient outcomes from nearly 40 million Medicare hospitalization records over a three-year period.

                Across all procedures studied, there was a 63 percent lower chance of experiencing in-hospital complications in a 5-star hospital compared to the U.S. hospital average.

                If all hospitals performed at the level of a 5-star hospital, 185,875 in-hospital complications may have been avoided among Medicare patients over the three years studied.

                The new 2011 HealthGrades hospital ratings are free to the public and are viewable at www.healthgrades.com.

                HealthGrades’ hospital ratings and awards reflect the track record of patient outcomes at hospitals in the form of mortality and complication rates. Hospitals are rated independently based on data submitted to the federal government. No hospital can opt in or out of being rated, and no hospital pays to be rated.