Media Contact: Jim Banahan, phone (323) 913-4570
e-mail: Jim.Banahan@Hpmedcenter.com

HPMC CEO Thanks Employees for Making a Difference and Helping the Medical Center Earn Award Distinctions from HealthGrades

by Jeff A. Nelson, CEO

Los Angeles (October 29, 2008) - Have you ever worked on a jigsaw puzzle?

Earlier this summer, my Dad was in a transitional care facility whose specialty included having patients work on jigsaw puzzles with more than 10,000 pieces. As I watched my Dad put pieces together in one corner of a puzzle, I could see the picture of a small farm house form. Others patients worked on a completely different area of the puzzle, and a Maple tree took shape. The house and the tree did not seem to be connected until later, when my Dad and others worked on another part of the puzzle to reveal a fall country scene in beautiful rural America. The tree and the farm house were complete within themselves, but they were also parts of a bigger picture.

Similarly, each of us may have discovered that seemingly unimportant things learned, jobs taken, and experiences earned, had all fit together in a way none of us could have anticipated at the time. It was only later, when we saw the bigger picture, that we realized the importance of certain things. This questioning of the importance of our work may happen to each of us at HPMC from time to time. How does our work fit into the bigger picture? Do our individual jobs make a difference? Are we improving? In the big picture, are we becoming the most trusted medical center?

I am here to say that you are truly making a difference…and it is being noticed nationally. On October 14th, HealthGrades, a national hospital quality rating company, awarded HPMC with many highly rated distinctions for providing quality patient care. Please see the list of quality awards below. HPMC’s employees, teams, physicians and volunteers make a difference each day in the lives of our patients. Congratulations to everyone at HPMC for a job well done. Enjoy! (And tell everyone the good news!)

Cardiac Services

• Treatment of Heart Attack – Five Stars (2007 - 2009)
• Treatment of Heart Failure – Five Stars (2007 – 2009)

Stroke Care

• HealthGrades’ Stroke Care Excellence Award (2008 & 2009)
• Ranked Top 5% in the Nation (2008 & 2009)
• Ranked Among the Top 10% in the Nation (2008 & 2009)
• Ranked Among the Top 10 in CA for Treatment of Stroke (2009)
• Treatment of Stroke – Five Stars (2008 & 2009)

Pulmonary Services

• Recipient of the HealthGrades' Pulmonary Care Excellence Award (2005 – 2009)
• Ranked Among the Top 5% in the Nation for Overall Pulmonary Services (2008 & 2009)
• Ranked Among the Top 10% in the Nation for Overall Pulmonary Services (2005 – 2007)
• Overall Pulmonary Services – Five Stars (2005 – 2009)
• Treatment of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease - Five Stars (2008 & 2009)
• Treatment of Pneumonia – Five Stars (2005 – 2009)

Gastrointestinal Services

• Treatment for Cholecystectomy – Five Stars (2009)

Critical Care

• Treatment of Sepsis – Five Stars (2006 – 2009)
• Treatment of Respiratory Failure – Five Stars (2006 – 2009)

General Surgery

• Recipient of the HealthGrades’ General Surgery Excellence Award (2007 – 2009)
• Ranked Among the Top 5% in the Nation for General Surgery
• Ranked Among the Top 5 in CA for General Surgery
• General Surgery – Five Stars (2009)
• Treatment for Appendectomy – Five Stars (2006 – 2009)