Bangor, Maine — St. Joseph Hospital has been named one of the country’s 100 best hospitals in a new independent ranking.
The annual Thomson Reuters Top 100 Hospitals study released this week recognized St. Joseph as one of 20 medium-sized community hospitals providing quality and cost-efficient care. St. Joseph was the only hospital in Maine named to this year’s list.
The study evaluates nearly 3,000 acute-care, nonfederal hospitals based on patient care, efficiency of operations and financial stability.
Conducted since 1993, the study takes into account mortality, medical complications, patient safety and satisfaction, length of stays, and readmission rates for heart attacks, heart failure and pneumonia. On the financial side, the study examines hospitals’ expenses and profitability.
The study, which hospitals don’t apply to or pay to participate in, can give patients peace of mind amid alarming media reports about hospital-acquired infections and other health care concerns, said Mary Prybylo, president and CEO of St. Joseph Healthcare.
“It reflects for our patients that we are a safe facility for them to get care,” she said.
The ranking also speaks to the 112-bed hospital’s collaborations with local businesses seeking lower medical costs and quality health care for their employees, Prybylo said.
“The fact that our costs are reasonable and lower than many other providers makes us an important partner,” she said.
Prybylo, who came on as CEO six months ago, credited her predecessor, Sister Mary Norberta, for her commitment to health care quality within the organization.
The study’s researchers examined public data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Hospital Compare website and other federal reports.
Thomson Reuters found that if all of the country’s Medicare inpatients received the same level of care found at the top 100 hospitals, more than 186,000 additional lives could be saved and upward of $4.3 billion in health care costs could be avoided.
I find this article hard to believe. from my experiences I wouldn’t bring a dog to St Joe’s. also, not a friendly atmosphere for someone who isn’t a Catholic.
I must disagree with you totally! I believe St. Joseph is a stellar hospital and this comes from one who is not Catholic and has been fortunate enough to be employed there as well as have my family cared for there. In my book they will ALWAYS be THE BEST hospital in the Bangor area as well as the state of Maine!
I am not a religious person. I have been to the St. Joseph emergency room, had an MRI there, and recently had major surgery. At no time has anyone on the staff mentioned anything to do with religion. I have been treated with the utmost respect there.
Really ? You wouldnt take a dog to St.Joes ? Well I for one wouldnt take a dead goldfish to E.M.M.C. !! And when you have to go to the E.R. at St. Joes you dont sit there wiating for 4 hours before you get seen……..
Take that EMMC! Keep striking nurses and all your patients will be coming to St. Joseph’s! I am so glad to be employed at St. Joseph’s Hospital! Way to go St. Joseph’s!
Let us take an example of Texas. The “Penny Health” is quite popular in Arizona. It provides so many offers for the low income people.
I’ve had better treatment at St. Joes than EMMC.
I have to agree with Stockholm…my experiences there have been horrid. I personally was sent home with a “sprained ankle” from their ER; only to discover at a follow up with my primary doctor it was indeed broken, and in 2 places! I’ve had two other family members that have had less than ideal care there also. I know that these sorts of things can happen at any hospital…Doctors and Nurses are human too, and oversights happen. Unfortunately, it’s just been too close for me to personally feel comfortable having medical care at their facility.
I know of a woman who went to the ER there for sudden paralysis in her face and she was sent home, being told it was nothing but a neck cramp. Turns out she had had a stroke.
Clean is the first thing that comes to mind when at St. Joes. Good service is another.
On February 24th one of the ER doctors referred to me as “A damned cancer patient” and assumed that, because I have a history of cancer, that I was “overreacting.” I was having a severe asthma attack. And this is a Top 100 hospital? signed, Kim Pomroy
sounds like someone i know . this person was very outspoken as a pcp
I would make sure your experience was heard. No place is perfect, and no one employes all perfect employees. Helping an organization know which employees are not treating patients as they should would probably be seen as a huge help. Adminstration can’t be everywhere so they depend on the patients to voice their good and bad experiences. I’ve been treated unfairly before and while nothing may have done about it, it made me feel better to know that I voiced my own opinion.