Gundersen Lutheran earns top recognition for emergency medicine

A health industry study has named Gundersen Lutheran among the top five percent of hospitals in the country for emergency medicine.

 The HealthGrades Emergency Medicine in American Hospitals study analyzed more than 7 million Medicare patient records in order to identify top-performing hospitals. The study focused on 12 of the most common and life-threatening medical emergencies among that patient population, including heart attack, stroke, pneumonia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Based on its study, the organization awarded Gundersen Lutheran the 2012 HealthGrades Emergency Medicine Excellence Award.  Patients at hospitals which received the award had, on average, a nearly 42 percent lower risk of death compared to patients treated at hospitals that did not receive the award.

"It is imperative that anyone experiencing a medical emergency go directly to the closest hospital, especially in the event of a heart attack or stroke," said report author Dr. Arshad Rahim, "That said, our findings show the care you receive once admitted to the hospital can also make the difference between life and death.

More information can be found online at www.healthgrades.com or at www.gundluth.org/healthgrades.