Local medical center No. 1 for stroke care in state

Providence St. Joseph Medical Center has received a five-star

excellence rating for cardiac, neuroscience and obstetrics procedures

from HealthGrades, a provider of health-care quality information.

The ratings received for treatment of heart attack, heart failure,

stroke and obstetrics place the medical center among the best in the

nation for these categories, according to HealthGrades. In addition,

the medical center placed No. 1 in California for stroke care, and in

the top 5% in the nation for stroke and obstetrics care.

The rating information is based on data collected from 1999

through 2001 by the federal government’s Center for Medicare and

Medicaid Services.

The medical center competed with more than 5,000 hospitals across

the country. Receiving a five-star designation indicates that the

hospital has generally scored among the top 15% in the nation for

that category.

Molly Shore