Mercy among Medicare’s 97 Best Hospitals for Joint Replacement

Mercy Medical Center was named as one of the nation’s 97 best hospitals for joint replacement surgery, according to information recently published by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). 

According to CMS, the list contains hospitals where patients are least likely to suffer setbacks and be readmitted after joint replacement surgery. This report compared hospitals using Medicare data that looked at how often patients were readmitted within 30 days of discharge and how often they suffered one of the following eight complications:

• Acute myocardial infarction (heart attack)
• Pneumonia
• Sepsis (inflammation caused by infection)
• Surgical site bleeding
• Pulmonary embolism (blockage in the lungs)
• Mechanical complication
• Joint infection within 90 days of surgery
• Death during admission or within 30 days

Approximately 600,000 Medicare beneficiaries undergo a hip or knee replacement each year. According to the report, 95 percent of U.S. hospitals were considered "average."

Mercy Medical Center was also one of just 97 hospitals in the nation with readmission rates that were lower than average and the only hospital in Iowa with this important distinction. CMS published the data on its Hospital Compare website, www.medicare.gov/hospitalcompare.

Many patients seeking joint replacement surgery want to know a hospital’s record when choosing where to have their surgery. This report reaffirms conclusions about the high quality of care in joint replacement surgery at Mercy Medical Center.