Kansas City, Mo., hospitals win top rank

Top rankings for U.S. hospital health systems are often well-known names such as Mayo, but 12th is a Kansas City group of 10 hospitals, officials say. Saint Luke's Health System in the Kansas City, Mo., area consists of 10 hospitals and several primary and specialty care practices that provide a range of inpatient, outpatient and home care services. Dr. Melinda Estes, chief executive officer of the Saint Luke's Health System, said Saint Luke's individual hospitals repeatedly topped all other metropolitan area hospitals in the the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey of patients' hospital experiences. However, this year the new report from HealthStream marked the first time Saint Luke's health system ranked near the top of health systems. "It's gratifying to know that we're considered among the nation's best-known hospitals for quality care," Estes said in a statement. The ranking aggregates scores across multiple aspects of care for all the hospitals in Saint Luke's Health System. The 27-question survey queried patients about perceptions of their hospital experiences, Estes said. The report provides a national, standardized look at key aspects of patient care, including communication with staff, pain and medication management, discharge information, cleanliness and quietness of hospital environment, overall rating of hospital, and willingness to recommend the hospital. Hospitals comprising Saint Luke's Health System are: Saint Luke's East Hospital; Saint Luke's South Hospital; Saint Luke's Hospital of Kansas City; Saint Luke's North Hospital -- Barry Road and Smithville campuses; Wright Memorial Hospital, Trenton, Mo.; Hedrick Medical Center, Chillicothe, Mo.; Cushing Memorial Hospital, Leavenworth, Kansas; and Anderson County Hospital, Garnett, Kansas. The current data reflect results of patient satisfaction surveys conducted from April 2011 to March 2012.