Patient Experience at Excela Health Affirms Positive Carechex® Ratings

GREENSBURG, Pa., July 17, 2018 …When it comes to elective surgery, patients know they have a choice of provider and are doing their homework before committing to a surgeon or a hospital for care. Internet research yields an abundance of data regarding the vast differences in quality of care and patient experience among health care organizations.

Excela Health and its member hospitals have been ranked among the nation’s
best in 2018 by CareChex®, including a number-one hospital in the market for major
orthopedic surgery and top 10 percent in the Northeast for joint replacement surgery

CareChex is an information service of Quantros, Inc. CareChex provides clinical,
financial, and patient satisfaction findings to consumers, providers, and purchasers of
U.S. medical care and provides a comprehensive evaluation of inpatient hospital quality
performance using a variety of outcomes of care measures, expressed as a composite
quality score.

Tay Waltenbaugh had no second thoughts about where he would have a knee
replacement, and the exemplary CareChex ratings of Excela Westmoreland Hospital
only affirmed his decision. Waltenbaugh, chief executive officer at Westmoreland
Community Action, underwent bilateral joint replacement surgery late last fall with
Excela orthopedic surgeon Gregory Bisignani, MD.

Waltenbaugh is a former basketball player and an active outdoorsman,
businessman, and grandfather. The opportunity for a dual knee replacement allowed
him to recover more quickly than if he had each surgery performed separately.

Generally, orthopedic surgeons repair one knee at a time, allowing the patient
the opportunity to heal, rehabilitate and gain strength before undergoing the second
surgery. However, Waltenbaugh was mentally and physically prepared for the dual
knee replacement.

Waltenbaugh was not surprised that Excela Health is ranked first in medical
excellence for major orthopedic surgery by CareChex®, based on his positive hospital
experience.

“I think everything is easy, but it’s not,” Waltenbaugh said. “Excela Health made it
easy.”

Waltenbaugh was experiencing severe pain in his arthritic knees before deciding
to have joint replacement surgery in order to continue his active lifestyle. Given
Waltenbaugh’s excellent physical condition at age 63, Bisignani was able to perform
bilateral knee replacements.

Waltenbaugh credits Excela Health’s pre-surgery education for establishing clear
expectations and goals for a successful operation and recovery afterward. And even
though he thought he was prepared, “I had a lot to learn about self-care, pain
management post-op, and home modifications to accommodate my physical therapy
follow-up,” Waltenbaugh said.

The Excela Health system released a video titled “A Knee is For More Than
Walking” featuring Waltenbaugh on July 1, 2018. A shortened version will air as a
commercial on local television stations and the full video along with an article can be
found on Excela Health’s website.

For Waltenbaugh, knees are made for more than walking. As a grandfather,
outdoorsman and business CEO, his knees will continue to carry him through every
the step he takes each day, thanks to Excela Health’s orthopedic and rehabilitation
programs

For more information on Excela Health’s orthopedic and sports medicine
programs, visit www.excelahealth.org and search “knee” to find Waltenbaugh’s story
and related articles, doctors, and Excela Health locations.