The national average mortality rate for these procedures is 6.52 percent. Each city, a census-based statistical area, had to have at least four hospitals and at least one hospital that Healthgrades named a Distinguished Hospital for Clinical Excellence, which recognizes the top 5 percent of hospitals based on performance on 19 of 27 conditions and procedures.
Despite the cities’ overall low in-hospital mortality rates, there was significant variation in rates among hospitals in each area, according to Healthgrades. For example, in Dayton, Ohio, the city with the lowest in-hospital mortality rates, the mortality rate among seven hospitals treating patients with pneumonia ranged from 0.73 percent to 4.57 percent — more than a six-fold difference.
Here are the top 20 cities and their overall average mortality rates:
1. Dayton, Ohio — 4.68 percent
2. Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, Ariz. — 4.70 percent
3. Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, Wis. — 4.84 percent
4. Cincinnati-Middletown, Ohio-Ky.-Ind. — 4.89 percent
5. Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, Fla. — 5.13 percent
6. Salt Lake City — 5.25 percent
7. Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, Texas — 5.28 percent
8. Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, Ohio — 5.28 percent
9. Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, Minn.-Wis. — 5.30 percent
10. Indianapolis-Carmel, Ind. — 5.33 percent
11. Detroit-Warren-Livonia, Mich. — 5.34 percent
12. Rochester, Minn. — 5.36 percent
13. Wichita, Kan. — 5.41 percent
14. McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Texas — 5.43 percent
15. Lincoln, Neb. — 5.44 percent
16. Akron, Ohio — 5.44 percent
17. Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, Colo. — 5.45 percent
18. Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, Ill.-Ind.-Wis. — 5.45 percent
19. Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, Pa.-N.J. — 5.47 percent
20. Brownsville-Harlingen, Texas — 5.51 percent
As part of its report, Healthgrades also named America’s 100 Best Hospitals for 2013 — Distinguished Hospitals for Clinical Excellence that demonstrated high performance for at least four consecutive years.
More Articles on Hospital Quality:
America’s 100 Best Hospitals Named by Healthgrades
Patient Safety Tool: Always Use Teach-Back! Toolkit
5 Challenges of Engaging Patients
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