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Awards and Accreditations

BMC Ranked Among Top 5% in Nation for Clinical Excellence
February 3, 2014 For Immediate Release Berkshire Medical Center Achieves 2014 Healthgrades Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence: Distinction Places BMC Among Top 5% of Hospitals in Nation for Second Year in a Row PITTSFIELD, MA – Berkshire Medical Center has announced that it has received the 2014 Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence™, according to Healthgrades, the leading online resource for comprehensive information about physicians and hospitals. The distinction makes BMC one of the top five percent of more than 4,500 hospitals nationwide for its clinical performance. This is the second year in a row that BMC has received a Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence, and the third time since 2009. “National honors like these are important, but not just for awards. It’s the commitment we make to exceptional care for every patient in every encounter that leads to these honors. For BMC, these recognitions represent a consistent commitment to excellence by our physicians, clinicians and staff,” said David E. Phelps, President and CEO, Berkshire Health Systems. “For the community we serve, these repeated recognitions are objective validation that we are continuing to provide exceptional quality and they can feel confident that they are receiving the highest quality care, close to home.” “Berkshire Health Systems and Berkshire Medical Center place the highest emphasis on quality and patient safety. They are the top considerations for every decision we make, and we are fortunate to have a health system that continually invests in its people, facilities and technology to ensure that our physicians, nurses, technologists, therapists and support staff achieve the best outcomes for our patients,” said Diane P. Kelly, RN, BMC Chief Operating Officer. “Our success comes from everyone working together as a team and committed to providing our community with the best care anywhere.” From 2010 through 2012, Healthgrades Distinguished Hospitals for Clinical Excellence as a group had an overall 26.4% lower risk adjusted mortality rate across 19 procedures and conditions where in-hospital mortality was the clinical outcome, compared to all other hospitals. During this same period, if all other hospitals performed at the level of Distinguished Hospitals for Clinical Excellence across these 19 procedures and conditions, 156,036 lives could potentially have been saved. “Recipients of the Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence have demonstrated better than expected quality care. For patients undergoing treatment for select common conditions and procedures at these hospitals, this translates to a statistically significant lower likelihood of death or experiencing complications when compared to the rest of American hospitals,” said Evan Marks, EVP, Informatics and Strategy, Healthgrades. In addition to receiving the Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence, BMC was also recognized for excellence in specific areas of care. These awards and recognitions include: • BMC was named One of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Pulmonary Care – 2nd year in a row • Pulmonary Care Excellence Award™, 6th year in a row • Critical Care Excellence Award™, 3rd year in a row • Women’s Health Excellence Award • Bariatric Surgery Excellence Award • Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Heart Attack for 10 Years in a Row (2005-2014) • Five-Star Recipient for the Treatment of Heart Failure for 3 Years in a Row (2012-2014) • Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Respiratory Failure for 3 Years in a Row (2012-2014) • Five-Star Recipient for Total Knee Replacement in 2014 • Five-Star Recipient for Hip Fracture Repair for 2 Years in a Row (2013-2014) • Five-Star Recipient for Peripheral Vascular Bypass for 2 Years in a Row (2013-2014) • Five-Star Recipient for Colorectal Surgeries in 2014 • Ranked Among the Top 5% in the Nation for Overall Pulmonary Services for 3 Years in a Row (2012-2014) • Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Pulmonary Embolism for 2014 • Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Respiratory Failure for 3 Years in a Row (2012-2014) • Ranked Among the Top 5% in the Nation for Overall Pulmonary Services for 3 Years in a Row (2012-2014) • Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease for 3 Years in a Row (2012-2014) • Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Pneumonia for 6 Years in a Row (2009-2014) • Five-Star Recipient for the Treatment of Sepsis for 6 Years in a Row (2009-2014) • Five-Star Recipient for Women’s Health for 2014 • Five-Star Recipient for Bariatric Surgery for 2014 The 260 recipients of the Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence™ stand out among the rest for overall clinical excellence across a broad spectrum of care. During the 2014 study period (2010-2012), these hospitals showed superior performance in clinical outcomes for patients in the Medicare population across at least 21 of 30 of the most common inpatient conditions and procedures —as measured by objective performance data (risk-adjusted mortality and in-hospital complications). To learn more about how Healthgrades determines Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence™ recipients, please visit www.healthgrades.com/quality.