Also serving the communities of De Luz, Rainbow, Camp Pendleton, Pala and Pauma

Palomar Medical Center Escondido named America's 100 Best in four specialties

Also awarded for outstanding treatment of heart attack patients

ESCONDIDO – Palomar Medical Center Escondido is one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for orthopedic surgery, joint replacement, spine surgery and stroke care according to new research released by Healthgrades, the leading resource that connects consumers, physicians and health systems.

Every year, Healthgrades evaluates hospital performance at nearly 4,500 hospitals nationwide for 32 of the most common inpatient procedures and conditions using Medicare data.

Palomar Medical Center Escondido is the only hospital in San Diego County to receive the America’s 100 Best Hospitals in Orthopedic Surgery Award for five years in a row from 2017-2021 and was named one of America’s 250 Best Hospitals for overall care, early in 2020.

In addition, Healthgrades rated Palomar Medical Center Escondido with five-stars for the following procedures/outcomes: total knee replacement, total hip replacement, hip fracture treatment, spinal fusion surgery, cranial neurosurgery, treatment of stroke, treatment of pneumonia, treatment of gastrointestinal bleed and treatment of sepsis.

The hospital also received Specialty Excellence Awards in critical care, stroke care, neurosciences, orthopedic surgery, joint replacement and spine surgery.

“These awards show that Palomar Health is providing the highest level of patient care, in some cases the top 2% in the nation,” Diane Hansen, president and CEO of Palomar Health, said. “You don’t have to drive out of the neighborhood to be treated by some of the top physicians in the nation.”

Receiving treatment at a highly-rated hospital like Palomar Medical Center Escondido can make a huge difference in outcomes, as Healthgrades said; for example, patients receiving treatment at one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for joint replacement have a 64.5% lower risk of experiencing a complication compared to a hospital that did not receive the award.

Palomar Medical Center Escondido has also received the Chest Pain – MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award for outstanding treatment of heart attack patients from the American College of Cardiology. The hospital is one of only 140 in the nation to receive this award.

“As a Platinum Performance Award recipient, Palomar Medical Center Escondido has established itself as a leader in setting the national standard for improving quality of care in patients with acute myocardial infarction,” Dr. Michael C. Kontos, chair of the NCDR Chest Pain – MI Registry Steering Subcommittee for Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, said.

To receive the award, Palomar Medical Center Escondido has demonstrated sustained achievement and performed at the highest level for specific performance measures demonstrating a commitment to providing reliable, comprehensive treatment for heart attack patients based on current clinical guideline recommendations.

“We are saving lives,” Dr. Mikhail Malek, cardiologist and medical director for Palomar Health’s Heart and Vascular Center of Excellence, said “One day you or your loved one might get a second chance at life because of the outstanding care our team provides.”

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that almost 700,000 Americans suffer a heart attack each year. A heart attack occurs when a blood clot in a coronary artery partially or completely blocks blood flow to the heart muscle. Treatment guidelines include administering aspirin upon arrival and discharge, timely restoration of blood flow to the blocked artery, smoking cessation counseling and cardiac rehabilitation, among others.

Submitted by Palomar Health.

 

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