Independence Health System Adds to Accolades With New State Rankings From Healthgrades

Westmoreland Hospital Among Top 3 in PA for Coronary Intervention Procedures and Among Top 5 in PA for Surgical Care 

GREENSBURG, PA, January 23, 2024 … As the nation prepares to celebrate Heart Month in February, Independence Health System adds to its accolades for coronary care.  Newly released rankings from Healthgrades place Independence Health System Westmoreland Hospital among the Top 3 hospitals in Pennsylvania for coronary intervention procedures and the highest ranked hospital in Western Pennsylvania to this area. 

           Similarly, Independence Westmoreland Hospital is among the top 5 in the Commonwealth for surgical care.  These rankings along with Independence Health Westmoreland Hospital’s recent achievements as an America’s 100 Best Hospital for Coronary Intervention Award™ and America’s 100 Best Hospital for Cardiac Care Award™ recipient reflect the health system’s continued commitment to providing the best care possible and distinguish the organization as one of Pennsylvania’s leaders in specialty care.
   
           Healthgrades defines Western PA as a 25-county area that includes Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Blair, Butler, Cambria, Clarion, Clearfield, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Fayette, Forest, Greene, Indiana, Jefferson, Lawrence, McKean, Mercer, Somerset, Venango, Warren, Washington and Westmoreland counties. 

           “We couldn’t be more proud of our cardiovascular and surgical teams, and their commitment to high quality specialty care,” noted Carol J. Fox, MD, FAAFP, Independence Health System Chief Medical Officer.  “These latest rankings are further evidence that our programs and outcomes are exemplary. While we are a community-based healthcare provider, our services are equal to or better than other tertiary health systems which might have greater name recognition or a larger footprint.  Our patients can be confident that they are in expert hands with Independence Health System.” 

            Healthgrades evaluates hospitals solely on what matters most – patient outcomes – to determine the top-performing hospitals for specialty care in each of the 32 states assessed. Healthgrades’ 2024 analysis revealed that patients who seek care at a hospital with rankings in their condition or procedure have a better chance of a good outcome than if they were treated at a facility that is not among the top 5 in Pennsylvania. This widening performance gap highlights the importance of selecting a top-rated program. In fact, from 2020 to 2022, patients treated at hospitals that received a state ranking for Coronary Intervention had, on average, a 48.0% lower risk of dying than if they were treated at hospitals that were not state ranked for Coronary Intervention.* 

           “Healthgrades is proud to recognize Independence Health System Westmoreland Hospital as among the Top 3 in Pennsylvania for Coronary Intervention and Top 5 in Pennsylvania for Surgical Care,” said Brad Bowman, MD, Chief Medical Officer and Head of Data Science at Healthgrades. “Hospitals with a top 5 ranking in their state deliver consistently superior outcomes for the patients in their community.” 

            Consumers can visitHealthgrades.com to learn more about how Healthgrades measures hospital quality. Statistics are based on Healthgrades analysis of MedPAR data for years 2020 through 2022 and represent three-year estimates for Medicare patients only. For more information, see the complete 2024 Specialty State Rankings Methodology. 
 
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Nationally recognized for quality care, Independence Health System comprises Butler Memorial, Clarion, Frick, Latrobe and Westmoreland Hospitals with a combined bed count of 925.  With more than 1,000 physicians and advanced practice providers and 7,300 employees, the System is now the third largest in western Pennsylvania serving a population base of 750,000 in a footprint spanning more than 10 counties.  
 
The System includes tertiary programs that are rated among America’s best for cardiac care and surgery by Healthgrades in its Top 100 designations. In similar fashion, the prestigious Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) bestowed its top three-star rating. Historically, less than 10 percent of programs within the STS data base achieve this elite standing. The hospitals of Independence Health System also have earned a host of accolades from such prestigious outlets and sources as US News and World Report, Newsweek Magazine, the American College of Radiology, the American College of Cardiology, the American College of Surgeons, the Joint Commission, Leapfrog and the American Heart/Stroke Association. 

Locally owned and locally controlled, Independence Health System offers its patients low-cost, high-quality care across the care spectrum in such specialties as cardiology, cardiovascular and thoracic surgery, orthopedics and sports medicine, minimally invasive and robotic surgery, women’s health and obstetrics, emergency medicine, behavioral health and primary care. Its network of outpatient centers sees more than 1.2 million visits annually. The homecare division further supports patients at all stages of life with home health and hospice services.   
 
Independence Health System continues to change the healthcare landscape in western Pennsylvania by meeting patient needs through superb physician expertise, outstanding nursing, the latest in technology and programmatic depth. 

About Healthgrades 

Healthgrades is dedicated to empowering stronger and more meaningful connections between patients and their healthcare providers. As the #1 platform for finding a doctor and a leader in healthcare transparency, we help millions of consumers each month find and schedule appointments with their healthcare professional of choice and prepare for their appointments with best-in-class, treatment-focused content. 

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Healthgrades is part of RVO Health, a partnership between Red Ventures and Optum, part of UnitedHealth Group. RVO Health has the largest consumer health and wellness audience online across its brand portfolio, including Healthgrades, Healthline, Medical News Today, Greatist, Psych Central, Bezzy, and Platejoy which touch every part of the health and wellness journey. Each month, RVO Health helps more than 100 million unique visitors live their strongest and healthiest lives. 

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