Healthgrades, one of the nation’s leading healthcare research firms, tracks hospital performance by dozens of indicators. Here are the metro hospitals that excel in one or more areas. Find the one with the expertise you need.
With additional reporting by Carolyn Crist
Plus:
‣ Advice from Healthgrades: How to find the best hospital for you
‣ Advice from Healthgrades: How to select a doctor
Top-Performing Hospitals
Atlanta Medical Center
303 Parkway Drive, Atlanta,
404-265-4000, atlantamedcenter.com
Facility Type Short-term acute care
Accreditation Joint Commission
Ownership Proprietary
Beds 460
Distinctions Primary Stroke Center (awarded by Joint Commission)
‣ Founded in 1901 and formerly known as Georgia Baptist Hospital, Atlanta Medical Center was one of the first hospitals in the city. Today the hospital is a Level I trauma center and has a Level III neonatal intensive care unit, plus nationally recognized heart, stroke, spine, and surgical weight-reduction services. The hospital is also known for its women’s services program, including water births and digital mammography. In 2013 South Fulton Medical Center consolidated with the hospital and is now known as Atlanta Medical Center – South Campus. Atlanta Medical Center is part of the Tenet Healthcare Corporation.
Healthgrades Five Stars for heart failure and respiratory failure
Atlanta Medical Center – South Campus
(formerly South Fulton Medical Center)
1170 Cleveland Avenue, East Point,
404-466-1170, atlantamedcenter.com
Facility Type Short-term acute care
Accreditation Joint Commission
Ownership Proprietary
Beds 55
Distinctions Primary Stroke Center (awarded by Joint Commission)
‣ This East Point facility has served patients from South Fulton, Coweta, Fayette, Henry, Clayton, and Douglas counties since 1963. Specialties include emergency services, outpatient and inpatient surgery, a teleneurology program, a stroke program, and a sleep disorders center. In 2013 South Fulton Medical Center consolidated with the Atlanta Medical Center to become Atlanta Medical Center – South Campus. The hospital is part of the Tenet Healthcare Corporation.
Healthgrades Five Stars for esophageal/stomach surgeries
DeKalb Medical at North Decatur
2701 North Decatur Road, Decatur,
404-501-1000, dekalbmedical.org
Facility Type Short-term acute care
Accreditation Joint Commission
Ownership Private (voluntary nonprofit)
Beds 451
Distinctions Bariatric Center of Excellence (awarded by Surgical Review Corporation)
‣ DeKalb Medical’s tri-campus system offers a comprehensive array of services and specialties, including diagnostic imaging, rehabilitation, a women’s center, a surgical weight-loss center, a sleep disorders clinic, and an outpatient surgery center. The downtown Decatur location is devoted exclusively to long-term acute care for patients released from intensive care. The North Decatur facility has a cancer center and a da Vinci robotic system, which allows for smaller incisions, quicker postsurgical recoveries, and less scarring.
Healthgrades Five Stars for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and hip fracture treatment
Healthgrades awards 2012–2014 Women’s Health Excellence
DeKalb Medical at Hillandale
2801 DeKalb Medical Parkway, Lithonia,
404-501-8000, dekalbmedical.org
Facility Type Short-term acute care
Accreditation Joint Commission
Ownership Government hospital district
Beds 100
‣ See above for description.
Healthgrades Five Stars for heart failure
Eastside Medical Center
1700 Medical Way, Snellville,
770-979-0200, eastsidemedical.com
Facility Type Short-term acute care
Accreditation Joint Commission
Ownership Proprietary
Beds 188
Distinctions Primary Stroke Center (awarded by Joint Commission)
‣ With more than 400 physicians, this acute care, dual-campus hospital in Snellville specializes in cardiology, neurosciences, orthopedics, oncology, and women’s care. The main campus has a Level III neonatal intensive care unit and is equipped with private birthing suites. The South Campus, formerly the Eastside Heritage Center, focuses on a pain center, wound care clinic, adult behavioral health services, and geriatric psychiatry. It received a 2011 Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association for stroke care. Eastside is part of TriStar Health System.
Healthgrades Five Stars for pneumonia and diabetic emergencies
Healthgrades awards 2012–2014 Pulmonary Care Excellence
Emory Johns Creek Hospital
6325 Hospital Parkway, Johns Creek,
678-474-7000, emoryjohnscreek.com
Facility Type Short-term acute care
Accreditation Joint Commission
Ownership Proprietary
Beds 110
Distinctions Primary Stroke Center (awarded by Joint Commission)
‣ Home of the Atlanta Bariatric Center, Emory Johns Creek has been designated as a Center of Excellence by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery and has performed thousands of successful laparoscopic bariatric procedures. Services include emergency care, digital imaging, a birth center with Level III neonatal intensive care, adult intensive care, advanced cardiac care, women’s services, outpatient rehab, sleep medicine, and a pain center. The hospital provided $3.1 million in charity care in fiscal year 2013 and partners with local police, fire, and other organizations to offer health and wellness screenings in the community throughout the year. Emory Johns Creek is part of the Emory Healthcare Network.
Healthgrades Five Stars for coronary interventional procedures (inpatient), heart attack, and spinal fusion
Healthgrades awards 2012–2014 Patient Safety Excellence and America’s 100 Best in Coronary Intervention
Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital
5665 Peachtree Dunwoody Road, Atlanta,
678-843-7001, emoryhealthcare.org/saintjosephs
Facility Type Short-term acute care
Accreditation Joint Commission
Ownership Private (voluntary nonprofit)
Beds 410
Distinctions Primary Stroke Center (awarded by Joint Commission)
‣ Founded in 1880 by the Sisters of Mercy, Saint Joseph’s became part of the Emory Healthcare Network in 2012. Noted especially for cardiac care, the hospital also offers neurologic, vascular, gastrointestinal, respiratory, orthopedic, and cancer care. Saint Joseph’s was the first in the Southeast to perform open-heart surgery, create a comprehensive cardiac catheterization lab, and provide angioplasty as an alternative to more invasive surgery. The American Nurses Credentialing Center has recognized it as a magnet hospital for nursing excellence, the only community hospital in the world to receive five consecutive magnet designations. Emory Saint Joseph’s offers health screenings throughout the community for vascular and heart disease, mammography, and cancer. In 2013 employees donated $22,000 to the Gateway Center to provide assistance to the homeless.
Healthgrades Five Stars for coronary interventional procedures (inpatient), heart attack, total knee replacement, hip replacement, stroke, and transurethral resection of the prostate
Healthgrades awards 2012–2014 America’s 100 Best in Coronary Intervention, Joint Replacement, Prostate Surgery, and Prostatectomy
Emory University Hospital
1364 Clifton Road, Atlanta,
404-712-2000, emoryhealthcare.org
Facility Type Short-term acute care
Accreditation Joint Commission
Ownership Private (voluntary nonprofit)
Beds 579
Distinctions Primary Stroke Center (awarded by Joint Commission)
‣ Listed in U.S. News & World Report as the number one hospital in both metro Atlanta and Georgia in 2013, Emory University Hospital also received a Consumer’s Choice Award from the National Research Corporation for the sixteenth year in a row. Part of the Emory Healthcare Network and staffed primarily by Emory University School of Medicine faculty, this hospital has one of the most comprehensive transplant programs in the Southeast. Founded in 1904, the hospital is also known for cardiology and cardiac surgery, neurology and neurosurgery, oncology, ophthalmology, and orthopedics. The American Nurses Credentialing Center has recognized it as a magnet hospital for nursing excellence, and in both 2012 and 2013, the University HealthSystem Consortium awarded Emory the second-highest quality ranking out of more than 110 academic medical centers nationwide. The hospital provided $26.8 million in charity care in fiscal year 2013 and has one of the highest case mix indexes—which measures complexity of illnesses treated—in UHC-ranked facilities. Emory University Orthopaedics & Spine Hospital, which opened in 2008, is an extension of the main hospital’s acute care services and has been recognized by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia for spine surgery and knee and hip replacement.
Healthgrades Five Stars for heart failure and stroke
Healthgrades awards 2012–2014 Outstanding Patient Experience, Neurosciences Excellence, and America’s 100 Best in Stroke Care
Emory University Hospital Midtown
550 Peachtree Street, Atlanta,
404-686-4411, emoryhealthcare.org
Facility Type Short-term acute care
Accreditation Joint Commission
Ownership Private (voluntary nonprofit)
Beds 511
‣ Founded in 1908 and previously known as Emory Crawford Long, the hospital changed its name in 2009 after celebrating its 100th year of serving Atlanta. Part of Emory Healthcare Network, this tertiary care facility is known for services in cardiology, cardiac surgery, gastroenterology, neurosurgery, cancer, and emergency medicine. Women’s services include prenatal and postnatal education, bone density testing, mammography, and obstetrics, with specialization in high-risk pregnancy. In 2013 the University HealthSystem Consortium ranked Emory Midtown third for quality out of more than 110 academic medical centers nationwide. The hospital provided $19.4 million in charity care during fiscal year 2013 and helped fund the establishment of a local police precinct in Midtown.
Healthgrades Five Stars for heart attack, heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, stroke, neurosurgery, esophageal/stomach surgeries, sepsis, and respiratory failure
Healthgrades awards 2012–2014 Neurosurgery Excellence, Coronary Interventional Excellence, and Cardiac Care Excellence
Grady Memorial Hospital
80 Jesse Hill Jr. Drive, Atlanta,
404-616-4252, gradyhealth.org
Facility Type Short-term acute care
Accreditation Joint Commission
Ownership Other (voluntary nonprofit)
Beds 953
Distinctions Primary Stroke Center (awarded by Joint Commission)
‣ As the largest Level I trauma center in the metro Atlanta region, Grady Memorial Hospital maintains full trauma surgical teams around the clock. Emergency services include asthma, burn, sickle cell, stroke care, critical care, and intensive care services. Grady also features a Diabetes Center, Georgia Cancer Center for Excellence, Avon Foundation Breast Health Center, and a Regional Perinatal Center. Grady houses Georgia’s Poison Center and twenty-four-hour Rape Crisis and Advice Nurse lines. The institution was created by and named for the legendary editor of the Atlanta Constitution, Henry W. Grady. The hospital is part of the Grady Health System.
Healthgrades Five Stars for heart failure
Gwinnett Medical Center – Lawrenceville
1000 Medical Center Boulevard, Lawrenceville,
678-312-1000, gwinnettmedicalcenter.org
Facility Type Short-term acute care
Accreditation Joint Commission
Ownership Government hospital district
Beds 353
Distinctions Primary Stroke Center (awarded by Joint Commission)
‣ Gwinnett Medical is a not-for-profit network with campuses in Lawrenceville and Duluth. It provides acute care, outpatient services, orthopedic and neuroscience specialty care, and wellness services. The main campus features a Level II trauma center, a 129-bed tower, and an open-heart program.
Healthgrades Five Stars for heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, stroke, bowel obstruction, sepsis, and respiratory failure
Healthgrades awards 2012–2014 Stroke Care Excellence, Pulmonary Care Excellence, Neurosciences Excellence, General Surgery Excellence, Critical Care Excellence, America’s 100 Best Hospitals, and Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence
Gwinnett Medical Center – Duluth
(reporting jointly with Gwinnett Medical Center – Lawrenceville)
3620 Howell Ferry Road, Duluth,
678-312-6800, gwinnettmedicalcenter.org
Facility Type Short-term acute care
Accreditation Joint Commission
Ownership Private (voluntary nonprofit)
Beds 81
‣ After serving the area for more than sixty years as Joan Glancy Memorial Hospital, Gwinnett Medical Center – Duluth opened in 2006. Its two campuses feature a center for sleep disorders, an interventional radiology suite, and a da Vinci robotic surgical system. Its rehabilitation program has been ranked among the top three in the nation, according to the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, and its Glancy campus is home to diabetes education and community education programs.
Healthgrades Five Stars for heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, stroke, bowel obstruction, sepsis, and respiratory failure (reported same as the Lawrenceville campus)
Healthgrades awards 2012–2014 Stroke Care Excellence, Pulmonary Care Excellence, Neurosciences Excellence, General Surgery Excellence, Critical Care Excellence, America’s 100 Best Hospitals, and Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence (reported same as the Lawrenceville campus)
Northeast Georgia Medical Center
743 Spring Street, Gainesville,
770-219-9000, nghs.com
Facility Type Short-term acute care
Ownership Government (local)
Beds 557 inpatient
Distinctions Bariatric Center of Excellence (awarded by Surgical Review Corporation)
‣ Northeast Georgia Medical Center was rated Georgia’s number one hospital by CareChex, a ranking service of Comparion, and one of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals by Truven Health Analytics, which evaluates performance over five years in categories such as patient safety and satisfaction. The hospital specializes in programs such as cardiology, gastrointestinal care, women’s health, joint replacement, and cancer care. Recently, Northeast Georgia Medical Center received Level II trauma center designation, assuring that the hospital has resources available 24/7 to treat all types of traumatic injuries. With more than 500 physicians on staff, Northeast Georgia Health System offers additional facilities such as a satellite cancer treatment center, mental health and substance abuse treatment center, and outpatient rehabilitation centers for physical, speech, and occupational therapy. Now in its sixty-third year of service, the health system serves nearly 800,000 residents of northeast Georgia in more than thirteen counties. NGHS plans to open a new 119-acre campus in the Braselton area in early 2015, fully equipped with specialists and an urgent care center.
Healthgrades Five Stars for coronary interventional procedures (inpatient), heart attack, heart failure, valve surgery, respiratory failure, sepsis, pancreatitis, small intestine surgeries
Healthgrades awards 2012–2014 America’s 50 Best, America’s 100 Best, Distinguished Hospital for Clinical Excellence, Women’s Health Excellence, Emergency Medicine Excellence, Patient Safety Excellence, Cardiac Care 100 Best Excellence, Coronary Interventional 100 Best Excellence, Critical Care 100 Best Excellence, Gastrointestinal Care Excellence, General Surgery Excellence, Joint Replacement 100 Best Excellence, Vascular Surgery Excellence, Pulmonary Care Excellence, Cardiac Surgery Excellence, Gastrointestinal Surgery Excellence, Outstanding Patience Experience
Northside Hospital – Atlanta
1000 Johnson Ferry Road, Atlanta,
404-851-8000, northside.com
Facility Type Short-term acute care
Accreditation Joint Commission
Ownership Private (voluntary nonprofit)
Beds 537
Distinctions Primary Stroke Center (awarded by Joint Commission)
‣ Northside Hospital has served north metro Atlanta since 1970. With more than 2,300 physicians and 10,000 employees, it handles upwards of 1 million patient visits a year—providing a full range of healthcare services, including women’s health, cancer care, emergency care, surgery, specialty medicine, and a wide array of outpatient services at more than 120 locations across Georgia. Atlanta consumers consistently vote Northside their “Most Preferred Hospital for Overall Healthcare Needs” in the National Research Corporation’s annual Healthcare Market Guide. More cases of cancer are diagnosed, more babies are delivered, and more surgeries are performed at Northside Hospital than at any other community hospital in Georgia. As Atlanta’s only National Cancer Institute Community Cancer Center, Northside also diagnoses and treats more cases of breast and gynecological cancer than any other hospital in the Southeast and has among the best survival rates in the nation for bone marrow transplants.
Healthgrades Five Stars for heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pneumonia, spinal fusion, transurethral resection of the prostate, and respiratory failure
Healthgrades awards 2012–2014 Outstanding Patient Experience, Spine Surgery Excellence, Prostatectomy Excellence, Pulmonary Care Excellence, and America’s 100 Best in Prostate Surgery
Northside Hospital – Cherokee
201 Hospital Road, Canton,
770-720-5100, northside.com
Facility Type Short-term acute care
Accreditation Joint Commission
Ownership Private (voluntary nonprofit)
Beds 84
‣ Northside Hospital – Cherokee is a full-service community hospital with more than 400 physicians and 1,200 employees. Throughout an expanding network of state-of-the-art medical facilities in Canton, Holly Springs, and Woodstock (Towne Lake), the hospital offers a wide variety of services, including cardiology, emergency, cancer care, radiology, surgery, and women’s services. In 2013 Northside Hospital – Cherokee was named a Top Performer on Key Quality Measures by the Joint Commission and received Disease-Specific Care Certification for pneumonia and stroke. The Cherokee campus, along with Northside’s Atlanta and Forsyth hospitals, also was named to the Georgia Hospital Association’s Partnership for Health and Accountability Core Measures Honor Roll, Chairman’s category—the highest on the list. Northside is committed to advancing healthcare in Cherokee County and looks forward to offering services at the new Northside Hospital – Cherokee replacement hospital, scheduled to open in 2016.
Northside Hospital – Forsyth
1200 Northside Forsyth Drive, Cumming,
770-844-3200, northside.com
Facility Type Short-term acute care
Accreditation Joint Commission
Ownership Private (voluntary nonprofit)
Beds 217
Distinctions Primary Stroke Center (awarded by Joint Commission)
‣ Northside Hospital – Forsyth is a full-service community hospital with more than 2,300 physicians in more than sixty medical specialties. In 2013 Northside was named to the Chairman’s category (the highest on the list) of the Georgia Hospital Association’s Partnership for Health and Accountability Core Measures Honor Roll. The hospital also was recognized by the Joint Commission with Disease-Specific Care Certification for pneumonia, hip/knee replacement, and stroke. To better accommodate an increasing number of deliveries at the hospital’s women’s center, Northside Hospital – Forsyth recently was approved to offer a four-bed Level III neonatal intensive care unit, in addition to its existing seventeen-bed Level II neonatal intermediate care unit, which will allow seriously ill babies to remain in Forsyth rather than be transferred to Northside’s Atlanta campus for Level III NICU care.
Healthgrades awards 2012–2014 Outstanding Patient Experience and Stroke Care Excellence
Piedmont Hospital
1968 Peachtree Road, Atlanta,
404-605-5000, piedmonthospital.org
Facility Type Short-term acute care
Accreditation Joint Commission
Ownership Private (voluntary nonprofit)
Beds 488
Distinctions Primary Stroke Center (awarded by Joint Commission)
‣ Piedmont Hospital began more than a century ago as a ten-bed infirmary at the corner of Crumley Street and Capitol Avenue. Today the Buckhead hospital specializes in heart health, transplant services, and cancer care. Piedmont Atlanta is ranked consistently among the top five metro Atlanta hospitals on U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hospitals list and has been recognized by Healthgrades for three years in a row as one of America’s 100 Best hospitals for cardiac care. Staffed by 4,000 employees and more than 1,000 doctors, Piedmont Atlanta is one of five hospitals in the Piedmont Healthcare system that collectively provided $63 million in uncompensated care in fiscal year 2013.
Healthgrades Five Stars for coronary artery bypass graft surgery, coronary interventional procedures (inpatient), heart failure, pneumonia, bowel obstruction, gastrointestinal bleed, small intestine surgeries, colorectal surgeries, pulmonary embolism, and sepsis
Healthgrades awards 2012–2014 America’s 100 Best Hospitals; Distinguished Hospital for Clinical Excellence; Women’s Health Excellence; America’s 100 Best in Cardiac Care, Cardiac Surgery, Coronary Intervention, Gastrointestinal Care, General Surgery, and Pulmonary Care; Critical Care Excellence; and Outstanding Patient Experience
Piedmont Fayette Hospital
1255 Highway 54 West, Fayetteville,
770-719-7000, piedmontfayette.org
Facility Type Short-term acute care
Accreditation Joint Commission
Ownership Private (voluntary nonprofit)
Beds 172
‣ Recognized in 2013 by Becker’s Hospital Review as one of the Top 100 Great Community Hospitals and named five times as one of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals by Thomson Reuters, Piedmont Fayette is a community hospital known for strong ratings in patient satisfaction among metro Atlanta hospitals, according to the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey. Piedmont Fayette specializes in cancer care and heart health and offers twenty-four-hour emergency services, medical and surgical services, rehabilitation, and women’s services. Piedmont Fayette is one of five hospitals within the Piedmont Healthcare system.
Healthgrades Five Stars for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pneumonia, total knee replacement, hip replacement, stroke, gastrointestinal bleed, esophageal/stomach surgeries, sepsis, and respiratory failure
Healthgrades awards 2012–2014 America’s 100 Best Hospitals, Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence, America’s 100 Best in Pulmonary Care and Gastrointestinal Care, Orthopedic Surgery Excellence, Critical Care Excellence, Stroke Care Excellence, Joint Replacement Excellence, Emergency Medicine Excellence, and Women’s Health Excellence
Piedmont Henry Hospital
1133 Eagle’s Landing Parkway, Stockbridge,
678-604-1000, piedmonthenry.org
Facility Type Short-term acute care
Accreditation Joint Commission
Ownership Nonprofit
Beds 215
Distinctions Primary Stroke Center (awarded by Joint Commission)
‣ The newest hospital in the Piedmont family, Piedmont Henry specializes in emergency services. It is a certified Primary Stroke Center and an accredited Chest Pain Center, accommodating nearly 80,000 emergency department visits last year. The hospital also offers cancer care, twenty-four-hour medical and surgical services, rehabilitation, and women’s services. Piedmont Henry is one of five hospitals within the Piedmont Healthcare system.
Healthgrades Five Stars for total knee replacement and gallbladder surgeries
Piedmont Newnan Hospital
(reporting jointly with Newnan Hospital West)
745 Poplar Road, Newnan,
770-400-1000, piedmontnewnan.org
Facility Type Short-term acute care
Accreditation Joint Commission
Ownership Private (voluntary nonprofit)
Beds 136
‣ Named the 2012 Small Hospital of the Year by the Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals, Piedmont Newnan is known for its eye-catching and environmentally conscious design that has been awarded a Design Citation by Modern Healthcare for design excellence, functional utility, flexibility, and sustainability. Its new facility, completed in 2012, is LEED-certified. Specializing in robotic surgery and women’s services, the hospital also offers heart and cancer care, twenty-four-hour emergency services, medical and surgical services, and rehabilitation services. Piedmont Newnan is one of five hospitals within the Piedmont Healthcare system.
Healthgrades Five Stars for heart attack, pneumonia, and sepsis
Southern Regional Medical Center
11 Upper Riverdale Road SW, Riverdale,
770-991-8000, southernregional.org
Facility Type Short-term acute care
Accreditation Joint Commission
Ownership Private (voluntary nonprofit)
Beds 331
Distinctions Primary Stroke Center (awarded by Joint Commission)
‣ Southern Regional Medical Center features neurologic, cardiac, vascular, bariatric, and women’s health services. Known as a leader in women’s services, Southern Regional delivers more than 3,300 babies annually and includes a Level III neonatal intensive care unit. The hospital has been recognized on the state and national levels for quality of care, including certification as a Chest Pain Center by the Society of Chest Pain Centers, an Advanced Primary Stroke Center, and an Accredited Center for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery by the American College of Surgeons. Southern Regional is a member of the Emory Healthcare Network.
Healthgrades Five Stars for total knee replacement and spinal fusion
Healthgrades awards 2012–2014 Spine Surgery Excellence
Tanner Medical Center – Carrollton
705 Dixie Street, Carrollton,
770-836-9666, tanner.org
Facility Type Short-term acute care
Accreditation Joint Commission
Ownership Government hospital district
Beds 201
‣ Tanner Medical Center – Carrollton serves west Georgia and east Alabama, providing inpatient and outpatient services, high-tech medical imaging, and a twenty-four-hour emergency department. The hospital’s campus includes the Tanner Heart & Vascular Center, the W. Steve Worthy Maternity Center, the Roy Richards Sr. Cancer Center, the Health Education and Wellness Learning Center, and Tanner Breast Health. The Carrollton hospital is part of the Tanner Health System.
Healthgrades Five Stars for pacemaker procedures, pneumonia, total knee replacement, hip fracture treatment, and spinal fusion
Healthgrades awards 2012–2014 Pulmonary Care Excellence, Joint Replacement Excellence, Outstanding Patient Experience, and America’s 100 Best in Orthopedic Surgery
Tanner Medical Center – Villa Rica
601 Dallas Highway, Villa Rica,
770-456-3101, tanner.org
Facility Type Short-term acute care
Accreditation Joint Commission
Ownership Government hospital district
Beds 40
‣ Tanner Medical Center – Villa Rica serves Carroll, Douglas, and Paulding counties and other west Georgia communities. The facility began as Villa Rica City Hospital. It provides a wide range of inpatient and outpatient programs, including Tanner Intensive Medical Services, a hospitalist service. The Villa Rica hospital is part of the Tanner Health System.
Healthgrades Five Stars for pneumonia and sepsis
Healthgrades awards 2012–2014 Outstanding Patient Experience
WellStar Cobb Hospital
3950 Austell Road, Austell,
770-732-4000, wellstar.org
Facility Type Short-term acute care
Accreditation Joint Commission
Ownership Other (voluntary nonprofit)
Beds 382
Distinctions Primary Stroke Center (awarded by Joint Commission)
‣ WellStar’s Cobb facility offers many specialties, including cardiac catheterization, wound care, behavioral health, and pediatric care. WellStar Cobb is the only hospital in Georgia to receive “meritorious” status for surgical patient outcomes from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program. WellStar Cobb also offers Tranquility hospice and the Family Birthplace at Cobb, a private maternity suite center.
Healthgrades Five Stars for heart failure, pneumonia, stroke, diabetic emergencies, and sepsis
WellStar Douglas Hospital
8954 Hospital Drive, Douglasville,
770-949-1500, wellstar.org
Facility Type Short-term acute care
Accreditation Joint Commission
Ownership Private (voluntary nonprofit)
Beds 108
‣ WellStar’s Douglas location offers both outpatient and inpatient services such as coronary CT angiography, dialysis, and rehabilitation care. Douglas has accredited breast health and chest pain centers, and specialties include women’s health, radiology and imaging, cardiac rehabilitation, and wellness and prevention programs. WellStar Douglas was named to the Georgia Hospital Association’s Partnership for Health and Accountability Core Measures Honor Roll.
Healthgrades Five Stars for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, stroke, and respiratory failure
WellStar Kennestone Hospital
677 Church Street, Marietta,
770-793-5000, wellstar.org
Facility Type Short-term acute care
Accreditation Joint Commission
Ownership Other (voluntary nonprofit)
Beds 633
Distinctions Primary Stroke Center (awarded by Joint Commission)
‣ The largest member of the WellStar family, Kennestone offers the most services of all five hospitals. The Marietta facility provides a wide variety of treatments for cancer, women’s health services (including an accredited breast health center), radiology and imaging, orthopedics, and cardiology. With an award-winning bariatric program, Kennestone specializes in surgery and support groups for obese patients. WellStar Kennestone has been recognized for strong performance in diabetes and endocrinology, nephrology, orthopedics, gastroenterology, neurology, and neurosurgery by U.S. News & World Report.
Healthgrades Five Stars for heart failure, pneumonia, stroke, gastrointestinal bleed, small intestine surgeries, pulmonary embolism, sepsis, and respiratory failure
Healthgrades awards 2012–2014 Critical Care Excellence, Neurosciences Excellence, Stroke Care Excellence, Neurosurgery Excellence, Prostatectomy Excellence, America’s 100 Best in Pulmonary Care Excellence, and Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence
Wesley Woods Geriatric Hospital
1821 Clifton Road, Atlanta,
404-728-6200, emoryhealthcare.org/senior-health-center
Facility Type Short-term acute care
Accreditation Joint Commission
Ownership Private (voluntary nonprofit)
Beds 100
‣ Founded in 1987 by the United Methodist Church and Emory University, this geriatric hospital is part of Emory’s Wesley Woods Center. The center includes an outpatient primary care clinic, a 250-bed skilled nursing care facility, a multispecialty health center with dental care, and a 201-unit residential retirement facility (Wesley Woods Towers), with one floor of eighteen units dedicated to personal care. Wesley Woods Center is known for its programs in depression, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s disease. Recognized by the Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals as one of the best small hospitals in the state, Wesley Woods Geriatric Hospital is part of Emory Healthcare Network.
Healthgrades Five Stars for heart failure and pneumonia
Healthgrades awards 2012–2014 Pulmonary Care Excellence
Next page: How to find the best hospital for you
Hospital Quality Matters
Advice from Healthgrades: How to find the best hospital for you
If you’re like most people facing a health condition that requires hospital care, you’re not thinking about where you’ll be treated. You assume you’ll go to the closest hospital or wherever your doctor sends you, and it will be fine. It’s not that simple. Don’t confuse healthcare convenience and quality. Where you’re treated matters every bit as much as the doctor providing the care.
All hospitals are not the same when it comes to quality of care. Some offer significantly better care than others, and the difference can be dramatic. How dramatic? Your chances of surviving heart bypass surgery could be 85.6 percent higher at one hospital than at another hospital just down the road. Your chances of sailing through a total knee replacement without complications could be 63.4 percent higher. These statistics are based on data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for Medicare-enrolled patients.
Hospitals are required to report the results of the treatments they provide. This information tells us if patients at a particular hospital are more or less likely to have a successful medical outcome. When it comes to hospital care, Healthgrades defines success in two ways. The first is mortality: Did patients die during or after their care? The second is complication rates: Did patients experience unexpected health issues, such as an infection or blood clot, that required additional medical care? Reviewing a hospital’s performance based on objective measures of quality can increase your chances of a good outcome.
How We Rate Hospital Quality
‣ Healthgrades rates hospital quality based solely on objective measures of performance: mortality and complication rates. First, we calculate the mortality and complication rates a hospital is expected to have for a range of common conditions and procedures—from maternity care to knee replacements. Some facilities serve higher numbers of patients with conditions that tend to be more challenging. We adjust those hospitals’ predicted rates to give them credit for sicker, more complicated patients. Then we calculate the actual rates. After comparing the expected and actual rates, we place hospitals into one of three categories for their performance on each procedure or condition:
***** (five stars)
better than expected
*** (three stars)
as expected
* (one star)
worse than expected
This special issue of Atlanta magazine provides Healthgrades star ratings for all metro hospitals that have five-star ratings in one or more categories (not all star ratings are published here; visit healthgrades.com for additional ratings, such as patient satisfaction). Counties included are Carroll, Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Hall, Henry, and Rockdale. Annually, Healthgrades also recognizes top performers in certain specialties, patient safety, or overall clinical excellence. Recipients of those awards are indicated here as well. Use our ratings to find top-rated hospitals near you, and look for doctors who have admitting privileges—permission to treat patients—at those facilities.
Next page: How to select a doctor
Find Your Physician
Advice from Healthgrades: How to select a doctor
Choosing a doctor is one of the most important and personal decisions you can make. But how do you make an informed decision about selecting a doctor that best meets your needs? There are five different considerations that will help you find your best match. We call them the five Ps:
‣ Professional. Consider a doctor’s credentials; look for one who is board certified. Why? All doctors graduate with an MD after their names and have a license to practice. But board certification is the only way to be sure a doctor is competent in his or her specialty.
‣ Practice. Make sure a doctor’s specialty focus meets your needs. If you need back surgery, pick an orthopedist specializing in backs rather than one specializing in sports medicine or knee injuries. If you are a woman having issues with hot flashes, find a gynecologist with a special interest in treating menopause versus one whose practice focuses on delivering babies.
‣ Procedures. Learn how many of a specific procedure the doctor has performed. Here’s why this is important: The volume of procedures is correlated with results. Studies show that cardiac surgeons with the best outcomes should do at least 100 to 125 procedures a year to remain competent. There isn’t a specific number for each procedure, but, as with any skill, practice gets closer to perfect.
‣ Performance. How do the hospitals that the doctor uses perform? Physicians typically do procedures at more than one hospital—and not all perform equally. So it’s important to check on the hospital’s track record because it’s the skill of the doctor and the coordination of care in the hospital that influence the outcome of your stay.
‣ Personal. How well do the styles of the doctor and team meet your needs? Look at statistics regarding other patients’ experiences. How well does the doctor communicate and explain treatment options? It’s also important to consider how the office staff members interact with patients and how easy it is to get an appointment.
Even with a finite list of in-network hospitals and doctors covered by insurance, there’s choice. Arm yourself with information. Check out healthgrades.com for specifics on doctors in your area and know before you go.
