22
October
2013
|
04:27 AM
America/Los_Angeles

Los Angeles Residents Vote Cedars-Sinai No. 1 for Quality of Medical Care and Staff

For 18th straight year, surveyed households say Cedars-Sinai offers best overall quality, doctors and nurses

Los Angeles - Oct. 22, 2013 – For the 18th year in a row, Cedars-Sinai has won a national consumer award for providing the highest quality medical care and staff in the Los Angeles region based on a survey of area households.

Cedars-Sinai has received a 2013-14 Consumer Choice Award from National Research Corporation. It is the only medical center in the Los Angeles area to win the award for best overall healthcare quality, image, reputation, doctors and nurses.

"Cedars-Sinai is gratified by this important recognition from our community," said Thomas M. Priselac, president and chief executive officer. "It reflects our commitment to delivering compassionate, high-quality care for residents throughout the region."

More than 270,000 households were contacted nationwide for the research corporation’s Market Insights survey. Consumers in local markets were asked which hospitals they preferred based on healthcare quality and service.

Cedars-Sinai is one of just 37 hospitals nationwide that have won the award, or shared it, in their local markets every year since its inception in 1996.

The award is the latest recognition of Cedars-Sinai's commitment to healthcare quality.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released data showing that Cedars-Sinai is the only hospital in California (and one of only five in the nation) to have a 30-day mortality rate better than the national rate for five consecutive years in the following key disease categories:  heart failure, pneumonia and acute myocardial infarction (heart attack).

The distinction is notable because Cedars-Sinai treats so many patients with advanced heart disease who require complex interventions, including heart transplants. The program has performed more adult heart transplants than any other medical center in the nation for three years in a row.

"We are proud of our record on quality," said Michael Langberg, MD, senior vice president for medical affairs and chief medical officer. "It's the result of our staff paying careful attention to even the smallest details when it comes to patient care."