Howard County General Named One Of Top Hospitals In US

COLUMBIA, MD — Howard County General Hospital in Columbia was named one of the nation's top 250 hospitals. This accolade puts Howard County General among the top 5 percent of hospitals nationally, according to Healthgrades, which released the list Tuesday of America's Best Hospitals for 2019.

Healthgrades said that its analysis revealed that on average, the hospitals on its list outperformed others in treating a core group of conditions that account for more than 80 percent of deaths.

Eight other Maryland hospitals made it onto the top 250 list, including Franklin Square, Frederick Memorial, Johns Hopkins and St. Joseph Medical Center.

Here's the full list of Maryland hospitals among the best in the U.S., according to Healthgrades, ordered alphabetically:

• Frederick Memorial Hospital, Frederick
• Holy Cross Hospital, Silver Spring
• Howard County General Hospital, Columbia
• Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Baltimore
• Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore
• MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center, Baltimore (Top 50)
• Peninsula Regional Medical Center, Salisbury
• Suburban Hospital, Bethesda
• University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center, Towson

Healthgrades' complete list is organized by state, and the hospitals are also not ranked in any order.

To be eligible for the list, Healthgrades evaluates hospital performance for 32 procedures and conditions, such as heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia, respiratory failure, sepsis and stroke. Then it looks at patient outcomes, including mortality rates. (See the full methodology.)

According to Healthgrades, Howard County General Hospital has been recognized for excellence in five areas in the past year:

• America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Pulmonary Care (2017, 2018, 2019)
• America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Stroke Care Award (2017, 2018, 2019)
• Critical Care Excellence Award (2018, 2019) — This award covers pulmonary embolism, respiratory system failure, sepsis and diabetic emergencies.
• Gastrointestinal Care Excellence Award (2019)

You can see the full list of hospitals from Healthgrades here.

Image via Google street view.