Web site ranks Tulsa's hospitals

When you're having a heart attack, one of the last things you would think of doing is to check the Internet, but the government says it might be worthwhile to check it out "before" you're in that

Tuesday, April 5th 2005, 10:12 am

By: News On 6

When you're having a heart attack, one of the last things you would think of doing is to check the Internet, but the government says it might be worthwhile to check it out "before" you're in that situation.

News on 6 anchor Scott Thompson says every hospital does things just a little bit differently. So, the Department of Health and Human Services has compiled statistics on how some local hospitals handle life-threatening situations.

It's all online at the Department's "Hospital Compare" site. It lists statistics for 11 hospitals in Tulsa County and 95 more across the state, specifically focusing on how patients suffering from pneumonia, heart attacks, heart failure are treated.

You can select how you'd like to evaluate the different hospitals, and compare them against standards across the country.

The major Tulsa hospitals beat the average in most of the categories, like giving heart attack patients aspirin when they're dismissed from the hospital.

Aspirin on Discharge
National Avg. 86%
Hillcrest 97%
St Francis 96%
St John's 97%

But in some categories, Hillcrest, Saint John's and Saint Francis all fell below the national average, like in giving heart failure patients good education about their condition.

Heart Failure Education
National Avg. 45%
Hillcrest 20%
St Francis 40%
St John's 38%

It's helpful information that some are surprised to find is right at their fingertips.
Angela Penozzo: "I am pretty pleasantly surprised. Its kind of neat to be able to go somewhere and kind of check out."

You can find a link to the Hospital Compare web site.