ELKHART, IN – A report released by HealthGrades®, the nation’s most trusted, independent source of physician information and hospital quality ratings, ranks Elkhart General Hospital No. 1 in the state of Indiana for cardiac surgery and among the top 10 percent in the nation for joint replacement.

“Quality of care is our top priority at Elkhart General,” said Gregory, W. Lintjer, President of Elkhart General. “Providing our patients and families with the best care possible is inherent in our mission, vision and values. Being recognized by HealthGrades is an honor for our employees and physicians.”

Patients today have a wide variety of options when it comes to choosing a healthcare provider,” said Kerry Hicks, HealthGrades Chief Executive Officer. “At HealthGRades, we are proud to have led the way for empowering patient choice based on objective clinical outcomes and access to actionable quality measures. We commend Elkhart General for its superior quality and support of consumerism and transparency in the South Bend-Elkhart market.

“Physician engagement and physician champions have been key to our quality improvement efforts,” said Greg Losasso, Vice President of Operations at Elkhart General. “Multidisciplinary Hospital teams have focused their efforts on these service lines for several years concentrating on initiatives that improve the quality of care.”

2012 Clinical Achievements include:

Cardiac:

• Recipient of HealthGrades Cardiac Surgery Excellence Award™ in 2012
• Ranked No. 1 in IN for Cardiac Surgery in 2012
• Named one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Surgery
• Ranked Among the Top 5 percent in the Nation for Cardiac Surgery in 2012
• Ranked No. 7 in IN for Cardiology Services in 2012
• Ranked Among the Top 5 in IN for Cardiac Surgery in 2012 (Ranked No. 1 in 2012)
• Ranked Among the Top 10 in IN for Cardiology Services for Three Years in a Row (2010-2012) (Ranked 7 in 2012)
• Five-Star Rated for Cardiac Surgery in 2012
• Five-Star Rated for Coronary Bypass Surgery in 2012
• Five-Star Rated for Treatment of Heart Attack in 2012
• Five-Star Rated for Treatment of Heart Failure for 10 Years in a Row (2003-2012)

Joint Replacement

• Recipient of the HealthGrades Joint Replacement Excellence Award™ for Four Years in a Row (2009-2012)
• Ranked Among the Top 10 percent in the Nation for Joint Replacement for Four Years in a Row (2009-2012)
• Ranked No. 4 in IN for Joint Replacement in 2012
• Ranked Among the Top 10 in IN for Joint Replacement for Four Years in a Row (2009-2012) (Ranked 4 in 2012)
• Five-Star Rated for Joint Replacement for Four Years in a Row (2009-2012)
• Five-Star Rated for Total Knee Replacement for Four Years in a Row (2009-2012)
• Five-Star Rated for Total Hip Replacement for Four Years in a Row (2009-2012)

The new 2012 HealthGrades hospital ratings were posted today and are free to the public at www.healthgrades.com.  For more information about the Elkhart General Hospital Clinical Achievements, visit egh.org or call 574-523-3303.

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About HealthGrades
HealthGrades is America’s most trusted, independent source of physician information and hospital quality outcomes. HealthGrades online properties are the nation’s leading destination for physician search and empower more than 170 million consumers annually to make informed healthcare decisions.

About Elkhart General Hospital
Elkhart General Hospital is an independent, not-for-profit hospital located in Elkhart, Indiana. The full-service, 325-bed main hospital is comprised of 300 physicians representing more than 30 medical specialties, and over 2,000 employees serving in nursing, technical, administrative, and support capacities. The Elkhart General Hospital website is www.egh.org.