"Significantly Better"

National Study: Spectrum Gerber Memorial Hospital is Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Sepsis

Fremont– Spectrum Gerber Memorial Hospital Hospital is 5-star rated for Sepsis outcomes, according to a study released by Healthgrades, the leading online resource for comprehensive information about physicians and hospitals. This achievement is part of new findings and data featured in the Healthgrades 2019 Report to the Nation. The new report released today demonstrates how clinical performance continues to differ dramatically between hospitals regionally and nationally.

“Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial is honored to receive a national award that recognizes what we do every day, and that’s providing quality care to our patients from the moment we connect with them to the time they go home after a procedure and beyond,” said Gerber Memorial President Randy Kelley. “Gerber Memorial has cared for our community for 100 years, and this award reflects our commitment to the patients we serve. This award also reflects the teamwork and collaboration that go on every day among our staff, who all share the common goal of providing exceptional patient care.”

Every year, Healthgrades evaluates hospital performance at almost 4,500 hospitals nationwide for 32 of the most common inpatient procedures and conditions, as well as tracking outcomes in appendectomy and bariatric surgery using all-payer data provided by 15 states and the District of Columbia.*  Gerber Memorial has received the Five-Star Distinction for Treatment of Sepsis for a fourth consecutive year (2016-2019).

Sepsis is the body’s overwhelming and life-threatening response to infection, which can lead to tissue damage, organ failure and death. The risk of sepsis can be reduced by preventing or quickly identifying and managing infections. This includes practicing good hygiene, staying current with vaccinations, and seeking immediate treatment when infections are suspected.

The national Sepsis Alliance reminds the public to watch for sepsis by remembering the “It’s about Time” formula: “T,” for temperature, when it is higher or lower than normal; “I” for infection, when patients may have signs or symptoms of infection; “M” for mental decline, when the patients feels confused, sleepy and difficult to rouse; and “E,” for extremely ill, including severe pain or discomfort.

Variation in care has a significant impact on health outcomes. From 2015 through 2017, if all hospitals as a group performed similarly to hospitals receiving 5 stars as a group, then on average 222,210 lives could potentially have been saved and 157,210 in-hospital complications could potentially have been avoided.* A 5-star rating indicates that Spectrum Gerber Memorial Hospital’s clinical outcomes are statistically significantly better than expected when treating the condition or performing the procedure being evaluated.

Additionally, from 2015 through 2017, patients treated for Sepsis in hospitals with 5 stars for in-hospital mortality have, on average, a 40.2 percent lower risk of dying than if they were treated in hospitals with 1 star for in-house mortality.*

“Clinical quality varies significantly between hospitals, so it’s important for consumers to use information about outcomes to assess where to receive care,” said Brad Bowman, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Healthgrades. “This 5-star rating for Treatment of Sepsis showcases the expertise and commitment of Spectrum Gerber Memorial Hospital to their patients.”

For its analysis, Healthgrades evaluated approximately 45 million Medicare inpatient records for almost 4,500 short-term acute care hospitals nationwide to assess hospital performance in 32 common conditions and procedures, and evaluated outcomes in appendectomy and bariatric surgery using all-payer data provided by 15 states and the District of Columbia. Healthgrades recognizes a hospital’s quality achievements for cohort-specific performance, specialty area performance, and overall clinical quality. Individual procedure or condition cohorts are designated as 5-star (statistically significantly better than expected), 3-star (not statistically different from expected) and 1-star (statistically significantly worse than expected) categories. The complete Healthgrades 2019 Report to the Nation and detailed study methodology can be found at www.healthgrades.com/quality/.

* Statistics are based on Healthgrades analysis of MedPAR data for years 2015 through 2017 and represent three-year estimates for Medicare patients only.