In January 2012, consumer healthcare information provider HealthGrades released a list of the top cities for healthcare in America. These hospitals should, by default, also have some of the lowest medical malpractice insurance claims in the country.
The survey focused on hospital care and evaluated hospitals nationwide on 26 medical procedures/diagnoses, including several now supported by information technology.
The Top Cities for Healthcare in the United States
The study, “HealthGrades Hospital Quality and Clinical Excellence,” published the results of the evaluation, including patient death and complication rates at nearly 5,000 hospitals across the nation. The top ten cities for healthcare in the United States, according to the results, are:
- Baltimore, Maryland
- Phoenix – Prescott, Arizona
- Cedar Rapids, Iowa
- Richmond, Virginia
- Cincinnati, Ohio
- West Palm Beach, Florida
- Chattanooga, Tennessee
- St. Louis, Missouri
- Hartford – New Haven, Connecticut
- Grand Rapids – Kalamazoo, Michigan
The study named outstanding hospitals in 38 states “HealthGrades Distinguished Hospitals for Clinical Excellence.”
Driving Down Medical Malpractice Insurance Claims With Quality
A company spokesperson for HealthGrades said “one in seven Medicare beneficiaries” is currently harmed as a result of their hospitalization and that “patients are fearful of the very institutions that are entrusted with saving their lives.” In this climate, the spokesperson said (as quoted in HealthCare IT News), it’s important to identify and acknowledge hospitals that are doing their jobs—reducing mortality and complication rates and providing trustworthy environments for health and healing.
The HealthGrades study also found that patients treated at HealthGrades Distinguished Hospitals for Clinical Excellence had 30 percent lower chances of mortality. Researchers found that “165,704 Medicare lives could potentially have been saved and 6,800 Medicare in-hospital complications could potentially have been avoided” if every hospital in the country performed to the standards of HealthGrades’ Distinguished Hospitals.
Poor Practices, Poor Practices
Hospitals with high rates of complications, poor outcomes, and patient dissatisfaction are prime targets for medical malpractice insurance claims. Poor business/medical practices thus lead to monetarily poorer hospitals and physicians.
By modeling the hospitals’ practices of the ten top cities for healthcare, we have one more method for driving down medical malpractice insurance costs.
Capson is committed to improving the lives of both doctors and their patients by lowering costs, helping doctors listen to their patients, and more effectively managing claims. If you have questions about Capson coverage or our approach, need help with a current policy, or simply want to talk with a Capson Advisor – we’re here for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call us at 888.248.5515, and join us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn.










