Healthgrades on Tuesday released its 2022 "Specialty State Ranking & Excellence Awards," recognizing 431 top-ranked hospitals in 34 states that provide "patients with measurably superior clinical outcomes."

Methodology

For the list, Healthgrades assessed clinical performance of almost 4,500 U.S. hospitals across eight specialties, including joint replacement, spine surgery, cardiac surgery, coronary intervention procedures, stroke care, critical care, pulmonary care, and prostate surgery.

To measure performance, Healthgrades analyzed Medicare inpatient data from CMS' Medicare Provider Analysis and Review (MedPAR) file from 2018 through 2020. Then, they analyzed patient outcome data across 16 conditions or procedures for almost every hospital in the United States.

According to a Healthgrades press release, the 2022 "Specialty State Ranking & Excellence Awards" were based entirely on clinical outcomes, including mortality and complication rates.

For each condition or procedure, Healthgrades classified hospital performance into one of three categories:

• Better Than Expected: A hospital's actual performance was better than predicted, with a statistically significant difference.
• As Expected: There was no statistically significant difference between a hospital's actual performance and what was predicted.
• Worse Than Expected: A hospital's actual performance was worse than predicted, with a statistically significant difference.

Healthgrades' 2022 state rankings

In total, Healthgrades recognized 431 top-ranked U.S. hospitals across 34 states for "providing patients with measurably superior clinical outcomes."

• Notably, the list included four hospitals that ranked first in three separate categories:
• AdventHealth Orlando* (Orlando, FL)
• Great River Medical Center (West Burlington, IA)
• Deaconess Hospital* (Evansville, IN)
• NYU Langone Health (New York, NY)

(* denotes an Advisory Board member)

From 2018-2020, patients who received treatment in ranked hospitals had, on average:

• A 60.8% lower risk of experiencing a complication while in the hospital compared with patients treated in hospitals that were not state ranked for joint replacement.
• A 46.1% lower risk of experiencing a complication while in the hospital compared with patients treated in hospitals that were not state ranked for spine surgery.
• A 54.5% lower risk of experiencing a complication while in the hospital compared with patients treated in hospitals that were not state ranked for prostate surgery.

See how your hospital fared.

According to Healthgrades, identifying the top-ranked hospitals in each specialty area provides consumers with vital information that can help them choose the highest quality care in their state.

"For almost 25 years, our mission has been to provide consumers with clear and accessible information to make more informed healthcare decisions," said Brad Bowman, CMO and head of data science at Healthgrades. "Our State Rankings provide consumers with increased transparency regarding the care in their areas and empowers them to make more confident care decisions for themselves and their families. This year's list encompasses the best of the best in terms of continued commitment to top-quality care, and a proven track record delivering positive outcomes for their patients." (Healthgrades press release, 5/10; Healthgrades, "Specialty State Ranking & Excellence Awards," 5/10; Bean, Becker's Hospital Review, 5/11; Healthgrades, "Specialty State Ranking Award Recipients & Methodology," 5/6)