This week, Healthgrades named EvergreenHealth in Kirkland to its 2017 America’s 100 Best Hospitals list, recognizing the health care system’s high-quality patient care. The distinction places EvergreenHealth among an elite group of hospitals nationwide, which represent the top 2 percent of more than 4,500 U.S. hospitals, recognized for consistent, year-over-year superior clinical performance across a broad spectrum of care.

Recipients of the Healthgrades 2017 America’s 100 Best Hospitals Award were selected based on outstanding performance in clinical outcomes for patients in the Medicare population across many of the most common inpatient conditions and procedures during the 2017 study period (2013-2015). Healthgrades is the leading online resource for comprehensive information about physicians and hospitals.

“As we celebrate our 45th year of serving the community, this award reflects our unwavering commitment to continued improvement and dedication to all those we serve,” said EvergreenHealth CEO Bob Malte. “The honor of being one of America’s 100 best hospitals has been earned by every doctor, nurse, staff person and volunteer across our system who, over our history, have advanced our culture of collaborative care to ultimately achieve better outcomes for our patients.”

EvergreenHealth is one of only two Washington state hospitals to earn the 100 Best distinction this year. The accolade joins numerous other national achievements recognizing EvergreenHealth for quality care over the past year, including a 5-Star Overall Rating from the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS), one of only 83 in the country; a Leapfrog “A” Hospital Safety Grade; recognition as one of U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Regional Hospitals”; Healthgrades Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence for the eighth time in nine years; and a Truven Top 100 Hospital award.

From 2013 through 2015, patients treated in hospitals achieving Healthgrades America’s 100 Best Hospitals Award have, on average, a 27.1 percent lower risk of dying than if they were treated in hospitals that did not receive this award, as measured across 19 rated conditions and procedures where mortality is the outcome.

During this same period, if all other hospitals, as a group, performed at the level of America’s 100 Best Hospitals Award recipients, an average of 179,438 lives could potentially have been saved. For example, patients treated at a hospital that has achieved the America’s 100 Best Hospitals Award had, on average, a 33.2 percent lower risk of dying during their hospital stay for heart failure than if treated at a hospital that did not receive the award.

EvergreenHealth’s addition to the Healthgrades America’s 100 Best Hospitals Award comes as it also celebrates 45 years of service to the Puget Sound region’s Eastside community.

“Throughout our organization’s history, we’ve remained resolute to deliver upon our mission of advancing the health of our community through a dedication to high-quality, safe, compassionate and cost-effective health care,” Malte added. “National recognition for this focus on our mission is rewarding, but certainly not what drives us each day. The health of our patients is at the heart of everything we do.”

For more information about how Healthgrades determines America’s 100 Best Hospitals Award recipients, visit www.healthgrades.com/quality.