Mills-Peninsula Five-Star Rated for Bariatric Surgery

Patients have 67 percent lower chance of complications for bariatric weight loss surgery at top-performing hospitals

Burlingame, CA (July 28, 2009) – Mills-Peninsula Health Services today announced that it has received a Five-Star Rating from HealthGrades, an independent healthcare ratings organization, as part of a study the organization released today. This is the fourth year in a row that Mills-Peninsula received the five-star HealthGrades rating, the highest rating in the study.

According to the study, the HealthGrades Fourth Annual Bariatric Surgery Trends in American Hospitals Study, wide gaps in mortality rates, complication rates and lengths of stay for bariatric surgery exist among the nation’s hospitals. The study analyzes patient outcomes for the most common weight loss procedures including gastric bypass, less invasive laparoscopic procedures including gastric banding, malabsorbtive procedures and combined malabsorbtive/restrictive procedures.

According to the study, Mills-Peninsula is one of 88 hospitals identified as a “top” performer (five-star rated), with mortality rates, complication rates and patient lengths of stay that are dramatically lower than poorly rated hospitals.

“This top rating is an example of the excellent care our patients know and expect at Mills-Peninsula,” said Bob Merwin, Mills-Peninsula CEO. “I’d like to thank our bariatric specialists as well as our clinicians and staff for helping Mills-Peninsula continue to be one of the best.”

Other findings identified in the study include:

Bariatric surgery patients treated at five-star rated hospitals have, on average, a 67 percent lower chance of experiencing serious complications compared to patients who receive treatment at one-star rated hospitals.

Patients had a three times higher risk of dying with a bariatric surgery if they had it performed at a one-star hospital versus a five-star hospital.

Patients having surgery at five-star rated hospitals spent, on average, more than half a day less in the hospital (2.15 days) compared to patients having surgery in one-star hospitals (2.72 days).

The number of inpatient procedures during the study years 2005 through 2007 showed no increase, but an increasing percentage of surgeries are being performed outpatient.

Laparospcopic bariatric surgery procedures account for 79% of all procedures, up from 54% in last year’s study.

Of the 19 states studies, over 61% of all procedures were performed in five states: New York, Texas, Pennsylvania, California and Florida.

California was, on average, the most expensive state for bariatric surgery (average charge per procedure=$52,224) while Maryland was the least expensive (average charge per procedure=$14,577).

Patients in Vermont, on average, spent the most time in the hospital (3.26 days), while patients in Nevada, on average, spent the least amount of time in the hospital (1.56 days).

“Competition among bariatric surgery programs grows stiffer every year as more programs open. It is critical for patients to carefully evaluate the quality of the hospital where they will have their surgery,” said Rick May, M.D., a senior physician consultant with HealthGrades and a co-author of the study. “Hospitals designated as five-star for bariatric surgery are obviously doing things differently to obtain the high quality patient outcomes they are getting.”

For this study, HealthGrades analyzed 153,355 bariatric procedures performed in the years 2005, 2006 and 2007. The states included in the study are: Arizona, California, Florida, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.

The full study and individual hospital ratings for bariatric surgery and other procedures can be found at www.healthgrades.com.

About Mills-Peninsula Health Services
Mills-Peninsula, a member of the not-for-profit Sutter Health organization, has provided excellent quality medical care to the San Mateo County community for more than 100 years. The organization operates two community health facilities with a total of 403 inpatient beds. Peninsula Medical Center, in Burlingame, CA, is an acute-care facility offering inpatient services such as orthopedics, cardiovascular surgery, a family birth center and emergency services. Mills Health Center, in San Mateo, CA, offers outpatient services including surgery, a cancer center, women's health services and diagnostics.

Mills-Peninsula also received the following HealthGrades awards:

Recipient of the HealthGrades Distinguished Hospital for Clinical Excellence Award™ Two Years in a Row (2008-2009) – ranks Mills-Peninsula among top five percent nationally

Recipient of the HealthGrades Stroke Care Excellence Award™ in 2008

Recipient of the HealthGrades Critical Care Excellence Award™ Three Years in a Row (2006-2008)

Recipient of the HealthGrades General Surgery Excellence Award™ Three Years in a Row (2007-2009)

Recipient of the HealthGrades Gastrointestinal Care Excellence Award™ Three Years in a Row (2007-2009)

Recipient of the HealthGrades Gastrointestinal Surgery Excellence Award™ Two Years in Row (2008-2009)