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Pomona Valley Hospital earns national recognition for cardiac services

Inland Valley Daily Bulletin (CA) - 10/23/2014

Oct. 22--POMONA -- Pomona Valley Hospital Medical has been recognized for its cardiac services and has been named one of the country's 100 Best Hospitals in two areas of cardiac services.

Denver-based Healthgrades named Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center among America's 100 Best Hospitals for cardiac care and for coronary intervention in addition to bestowing the hospital a Cardiac Surgery Excellence Award, according to the Healthgrades website.

The hospital is the only one in Southern California and one of four in the state to be recognized in the three areas, the hospital said in a statement.

"It is truly an honor to be the only hospital in Southern California recognized by Healthgrades for excellence in coronary interventions, cardiac surgery and overall heart care," said Richard E.Yochum, Pomona Valley Hospital's president and chief executive officer said in the statement. "This recognizes our commitment to providing the best cardiac care to patients throughout the region."

Healthgrades rates various types of health care services and providers, including hospitals and physicians. The information is made available to consumers at www.healthgrades.com so they can make health care decisions.

Healthgrades used data collected from 2011 through 2013 by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services'Medicare Provider Analysis and Review for the study.

The information was reviewed and hospitals were divided into below average, average and better than average performance based on patient outcomes. Facilities that are better than average are places where patients have a lower chance of having complications or dying following a procedure.

Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center was one of 4,500 hospitals for which data was reviewed.

"To be among the 100 best (hospitals) is quite a significant achievement," said Evan Marks, chief strategy officer for Healthgrades.

Hospitals who were recognized have something in common, Marks said. The common factor is care teams that keep track of small details in patients that left unchecked can result in significant complications, he said.

Deborah Keasler, director of cardiovascular services at Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center said team work is a key to their success and something that begins before a patient ever reaches surgery.

It can involve everyone from the team in the field that brings a patient to the emergency room and the team of health care professionals that takes over when the patient comes through the hospital doors, Keasler said.

In a non-emergency situation the team includes admissions staff, nurses working before and after surgery, physicians and many more professionals that continue working with the patient and the family until the person goes home, she said.

"I cannot stress enough, it's the folks at the bedside that deliver the care and have grown the reputation for that," Keasler said. "We stand on their shoulders."

In addition to team work, remaining up to date on the latest evidence based medicine and putting that into practice regularly plays a role in their success, she said.

They keep track of outcome and "we adjust our practices accordingly," Keasler said.

The hospital also works to make sure patients take care of issues such as diet and exercise after hospitalization.

"We have a responsibility to them to modify their risk factors" so they can live healthy lives, Keasler said. "They are getting a new lease on life."

In addition to being recognized for its cardiac services the hospital was also recognized as one of America's 100 Best Hospitals for Spine Surgery and was named a Prostate Surgery Excellence Award winner, according to the Healthgrades website.

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(c)2014 the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin (Ontario, Calif.)

Visit the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin (Ontario, Calif.) at www.dailybulletin.com

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