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Awards and Accreditations

BMC Achieves Excellence in Critical Care, Stroke
Berkshire Medical Center Achieves 5-Star Ratings and Top National Rankings for Key Services: Ratings Based on Study of Patient Outcomes at the Nation’s Hospitals by HealthGrades PITTSFIELD, MA – Berkshire Medical Center today announced that it has received 5-Star ratings and top national rankings for clinical quality from HealthGrades, the leading independent healthcare ratings organization. The recognition is based on HealthGrades’ twelfth annual Hospital Quality in America study, which analyzes patient outcomes at virtually all of the nation’s hospitals, using publicly available data. In the 2010 HealthGrades ratings, BMC achieved national recognition for Cardiac Services, Pulmonary Services, Stroke Services and Critical Care Services. BMC was honored with the 2010 Pulmonary Care Excellence Award, achieving a ranking among the top 5% in the nation for pulmonary services, and the 2010 Stroke Care Excellence Award, ranking BMC among the top 10% in the nation for stroke services. Specific highlights for Berkshire Medical Center include: Cardiac Services Five-Star Rated for Treatment of Heart Attack (Four Years in a Row) Received the Highest Possible Ratings for Treatment of Heart Attack Pulmonary Services Recipient of the 2010 HealthGrades Pulmonary Care Excellence Award™ Ranked Among the Top 5% in the Nation for Overall Pulmonary Services Ranked #2 in Massachusetts for Overall Pulmonary Services Five-Star Rated for Overall Pulmonary Services Five-Star Rated for Treatment of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Five-Star Rated for Treatment of Pneumonia (Received Highest Possible Ratings) Stroke Services Recipient of the 2010 HealthGrades Stroke Care Excellence Award™ Ranked Among the Top 10% in the Nation for Stroke Services Ranked #2 in Massachusetts for Treatment of Stroke Five-Star Rated for Treatment of Stroke Critical Care Services Ranked #1 in Massachusetts for Critical Care Five-Star Rated for Treatment of Sepsis (Received Highest Possible Ratings) “These accomplishments relate to important services for our community in areas of care that our families and friends will likely need at some point in their lives,” said Diane Kelly, Chief Operating Officer of BMC. “When we are recognized for being the absolute best in an area like Critical Care, our patients can be confident that the same level of commitment to high quality care will be there for them in all of our services.” “It is clear from the continuing national recognition, as found in the latest HealthGrades rankings, that patients of Berkshire Medical Center receive the highest quality care, on a par with the best hospitals in the country,” said David Phelps, President and CEO of Berkshire Health Systems. “Berkshire Health Systems is committed to providing best in the nation care to our community, with leadership from the Board of Trustees and dedicated care from all of our physicians, nurses and staff.” The HealthGrades study, the largest annual report of its kind, analyzed patient outcomes in nearly 40 million Medicare hospitalization records from 5,000 hospitals over the years 2006, 2007 and 2008. This year’s study found: •Across all 17 procedures and diagnoses in which mortality was studied, there was an approximate 72% lower chance of dying in a 5-star rated hospital compared to a 1-star rated hospital, and a 52% lower chance of dying in a 5-star hospital compared with the national average. •If all hospitals performed at the level of a 5-star rated hospital across the 17 procedures and diagnoses studied, 224,537 Medicare lives could potentially have been saved from 2006 through 2008. The new 2010 HealthGrades hospital ratings are posted online at www.healthgrades.com, HealthGrades’ public Web site. HealthGrades Ratings HealthGrades’ hospital ratings and awards reflect the track record of patient outcomes at hospitals in the form of mortality and complication rates. HealthGrades rates hospitals independently based on data that hospitals submit to the federal government. No hospital can opt in or out of being rated, and no hospital pays to be rated. For 28 procedures and treatments, HealthGrades issues star ratings that reflect the mortality and complication rates for each category of care. Hospitals receiving a 5-star rating have mortality or complication rates that are below the national average, to a statistically significant degree. A 3-star rating means the hospital performs as expected. One-star ratings indicate the hospital’s mortality or complication rates in that procedure or treatment are statistically higher than average. Because the risk profiles of patient populations at hospitals are not alike, HealthGrades risk-adjusts the data to allow for apples-to-apples comparisons. More information on the HealthGrades study, including the complete methodology, can be found at www.healthgrades.com.