TAMPA GENERAL AMONG NATION'S ELITE IN FIVE MEDICAL PROGRAMS
Tampa (July. 17, 2007) -
Tampa General Hospital is among the nation's Top 50 hospitals in five medical specialties -
gynecology, kidney disease, orthopedics, urology, and ear, nose and throat, according to U.S.
News & World Report.
The 2007 ranking of America's Best Hospitals places Tampa General in an elite group: only 173
of the 5,462 hospitals nationwide scored high enough to earn a ranking in the 16 medical
specialties evaluated by U.S. News & World Report.
Orthopedics received recognition for the third consecutive year, but this marks the first time
TGH has ranked among the nation's best in five different specialties.
"We are very pleased to be recognized as one of the top hospitals in the country in these
medical specialties," said Ron Hytoff, president and CEO of Tampa General. "It reflects the
dedication and commitment of the physicians and employees who provide quality medical care for
the residents of the Tampa Bay area."
U.S. News has been publishing its America's Best Hospitals lists since 1990 "to help
patients find the best hospital when the need is great," according to the publication. U.S. News
evaluates only those hospitals that first meet a set of general qualifications, as well as standards
relating to the specific specialty.
Hospitals meeting those initial criteria were then scored in three equally weighted categories
that include:
. Reputation. For each of the 16 specialties, a random sampling of 200 board-certified specialists
was selected from the American Medical Association's master file. The doctors were mailed a survey
form and asked to list the five hospitals they considered the best in their specialty for difficult
cases. The score in this category reflects the combined results of surveys in 2005, 2006, and 2007.
. Mortality. Each hospital got a score that compared the number of Medicare patients with certain
conditions who died in that hospital in 2003, 2004, and 2005 to the number of deaths expected after
factoring in the severity of their conditions.
. Other Care-Related Factors. Quality-of-care measures such as nurse-to-patient ratio, advanced
technologies, and credentialing by professional bodies also figured strongly in the rankings. Tampa
General's Level 1 Trauma Center, status as a Magnet Hospital, and high level of patient/community
services enhanced our score in this category.
The rankings are included in the July 25 edition of U.S. News & World Report.
