3 FW hospitals make best in US list

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – The Lutheran Health Network ( LHN) and Parkview Hospital announced Friday that Dupont, Lutheran and Parkview hospitals in Fort Wayne made the U.S. News & World Report’s Best Regional Hospitals for 2011-12.

U.S. News annually publishes the Best Hospitals rankings in July. At the midpoint of the 2011-12 year, its editors recognized 247 hospitals outside major metropolitan areas, including Dupont and Lutheran, as Best Regional Hospitals. The list of those hospitals is available online at usnews.com/bestregionalhospitals .

“Our hospitals are committed to meeting the unique needs of the communities we serve throughout northern Indiana,” said Joe Dorko, chief executive officer, Lutheran Health Network. “As a network, we learn from each other and adopt best practices so the care that’s delivered to our patients is on par with any area of the country. Recognition like this is more evidence that our physicians, nurses and support staff are making a difference.”

“Hospitals like Dupont and Lutheran offer a high level of medical care to communities that otherwise might have limited options,” said Avery Comarow, U.S. News Health Rankings Editor. “All Best Regional Hospitals are what we call ‘high performers’ in at least one medical specialty. They are fully capable of providing first-rate care, even to most patients who have serious conditions or need demanding procedures.”

U.S. News annually evaluates nearly 5,000 hospitals in 16 different medical specialties. Hard numbers stand behind its analysis in most specialties—death rates, patient safety, procedure volume, and other objective data. Physicians’ responses to a national survey, in which specialists are asked to name hospitals they consider best in their specialty for the toughest cases, also are factored in.