SARASOTA – Sarasota Memorial Hospital earned a ranking among America’s 50 best hospitals for specialized rehabilitation, as compiled annually by U.S. News & World Report for its 2021-22 Best Hospitals list, which was released Tuesday.
Sarasota Memorial was the only hospital in the region to earn a national ranking in at least one specialty.
The rankings are available at https://bit.ly/3y7Tnk0.
In May, Doctors Hospital of Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch Medical Center and Sarasota Memorial each received five-star ratings in the latest evaluation from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
In April, Doctors Hospital of Sarasota, Englewood Community Hospital, Sarasota Memorial Hospital and Venice Regional Bayfront Health all earned A grades in the Leapfrog Group hospital rating system.
And in March, Sarasota Memorial Hospital was one of 13 Florida hospitals ranked among the world’s best by Newsweek magazine.
Sarasota Memorial Hospital in sixth place in the magazine’s overall state hospital rankings
In addition to being named the top hospital in the region by U.S. News & World Report, Sarasota Memorial was also tied with Morton Plant Hospital in Clearwater for sixth place in the magazine’s overall state hospital rankings.
The Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville was the top ranked hospital in the state, with top rankings in seven adult specialties; Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville was ranked second, followed by Advent Health Orlando, Tampa General Hospital and Cleveland Clinic Weston in Weston Florida.
Sarasota Memorial also ranked second in southern Florida, behind Cleveland Clinic Weston.
The magazine evaluated almost 5,000 hospitals, with only 175 earning a national ranking in at least one specialty. Sarasota earned its ranking for specialized rehabilitation for patients recovering from serious injuries and debilitating diseases.
Sarasota Memorial ranks as a high performer in 15 procedures and conditions
The hospital also was ranked as a high performer in 15 procedures and conditions that are common for Medicare patients.
Those rankings were in abdominal aortic aneurysm repair; aortic valve surgery; back surgery/spinal fusion; congestive obstructive pulmonary disease; colon cancer surgery; diabetes; heart attack; heart bypass surgery; heart failure; hip replacement; kidney failure; knee replacement; lung cancer surgery; stroke; and transcatheter aortic valve replacement.
U.S. News & World Report has compiled its ranking for 32 years, evaluating 17 procedures and conditions.
New this year are evaluations with respect to back surgery/spinal fusion, diabetes, heart attack, hip fracture, kidney failure, pneumonia and stroke.
The magazine also looks at 15 complex specialty care areas, based on patient outcome.
U.S. News also rates hospitals as high performing, average or below average in common procedures and conditions for those age 65 and older.
“The goal is to evaluate how well hospitals perform in each procedure or condition – and not just with the most difficult cases, as with the specialty rankings, but with the full range of patients,” U.S. News noted in this year’s report.
By the way, subscribers:Sarasota Memorial Hospital limiting visitors again amid surge of COVID-19 patients
And:Sarasota and Manatee counties take different approaches to red tide fish kills
What about other area hospitals?
Other area hospitals did earn high performing marks with respect to specific procedures.
Blake Medical Center in Bradenton was ranked as high performing with respect to treating heart failure, heart attack, hip replacement, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Doctors Hospital of Sarasota ranked as high performing in treating heart failure, kidney failure, knee replacement and hip replacement.
Manatee Memorial Hospital in Bradenton ranked as high performing in treating heart attack and stroke.
Venice Regional Bayfront Health ranked as high performing for treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Earle Kimel primarily covers south Sarasota County for the Herald-Tribune and can be reached at earle.kimel@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism with a digital subscription to the Herald-Tribune.
