Mercy Regional Medical Center has been recognized by Healthgrades as one of America’s 100 Best hospitals for Orthopedic Surgery and Spine Surgery in 2016. Moreover, Mercy is the only hospital in Colorado to be America’s 100 Best for orthopedic and spine surgery four years in a row (2013-2016). The awards place Mercy among the top five percent of hospitals in the nation for performance in these areas.

From 2012-2014, patients treated at hospitals receiving the America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Orthopedic Surgery award have, on average, a 37.1% lower risk of experiencing a complication while in the hospital than if they were treated in hospitals which did not receive the award. Patients treated at hospitals receiving the America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Spine Surgery award have, on average, a 50.8% lower risk of experiencing a complication while in the hospital than if they were treated in hospitals which did not receive the award.

Healthgrades, an online resource that helps consumers make informed decisions about health care, evaluated nearly 4,500 hospitals nationwide for 33 of the most common inpatient procedures and conditions and identified the 100 best-performing hospitals across all conditions or procedures within this service line.

The achievement is part of findings recently released in the Healthgrades 2016 Report to the Nation. The new report demonstrates how clinical performance continues to differ dramatically between hospitals both nationally and regionally. This variation in care may have a significant impact on health outcomes. A five-star rating indicates that Mercy Regional Medical Center’s clinical outcomes are statistically significantly better than expected when treating the condition or conducting the procedure being evaluated.

“We welcome the national recognition of our orthopedic and spine services. The great outcomes our patients experience is a tribute to the collaboration and commitment to excellence of our physicians, allied health professionals, nurses and staff,” said Bill Plauth, M.D., Mercy’s chief medical officer.

Mercy’s Orthopedic and Spine Centers of Excellence approach patient care in a team-based, collaborative model that relies on continuous monitoring of quality indicators and outcomes.