(BPT) - By Patricia L. Turner, MD, MBA, FACS, Executive Director & CEO, American College of Surgeons
Your doctor has informed you that you need surgery — like 15 million other patients in the United States every year. Naturally, you and your family may want to research your hospital options to have confidence that you are getting the best care.
kAm%96 p>6C:42? r@==686 @7 $FC86@?D Wpr$X 92D 4C62E65 2 ?6H k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]724D]@C8^7:?5\2\9@DA:E2=^n?62C|6l@?U2>Aj5:DE2?46lc_]bU2>Aj@C56CqJlAC@I:>:EJQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmkDEC@?8mu:?5 2 w@DA:E2=k^DEC@?8m D62C49 E@@=k^2m E@ 96=A J@F 7:?5 9@DA:E2=D E92E >66E E96 C:8@C@FD BF2=:EJ DE2?52C5D H6 D6E 7@C DFC8:42= 42C6]k^Am
kAm%96 pr$ 92D 366? 567:?:?8 BF2=:EJ 42C6 :? DFC86CJ D:?46 @FC 7@F?5:?8 >@C6 E92? ``a J62CD 28@[ 2?5 ?@H H6 >2<6 :E 62D:6C E92? 6G6C 7@C A2E:6?ED 2?5 E96:C 72>:=:6D E@ 7:?5 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]724D]@C8^BF2=:EJ\AC@8C2>D^E96\A@H6C\@7\BF2=:EJ^H92E\DFC8:42=\BF2=:EJ\42C6\>62?D^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmpr$ $FC8:42= "F2=:EJ !2CE?6Ck^2m 9@DA:E2=D :? E96:C =@42= 4@>>F?:E:6D 2?5 E@ 2446DD :?7@C>2E:@? E@ AC6A2C6 7@C DFC86CJ]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m(92E :D u:?5 2 w@DA:E2=nk^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mu:?5 2 w@DA:E2=k^DEC@?8m :D 2 4@?G6?:6?E[ FD6C\7C:6?5=J D62C49 E@@= E92E 96=AD J@F =@42E6 9@DA:E2=D E92E 92G6 F?56C8@?6 C:8@C@FD 244C65:E2E:@? 2?5 G6C:7:42E:@? 7C@> E96 pr$ E@ 56>@?DEC2E6 E96:C 42A23:=:EJ E@ 56=:G6C E96 9:896DE BF2=:EJ DFC8:42= 42C6] q2D65 @? J@FC :?5:G:5F2= ?665D[ J@F 42? 7:?5 42C6 E92E 6I46=D :? 2C62D 24C@DD DFC8:42= DA64:2=E:6D :?4=F5:?8 42?46C[ 86C:2EC:4 DFC86CJ[ 6>6C86?4J 86?6C2= DFC86CJ[ 49:=5C6?VD DFC86CJ[ G2D4F=2C DFC86CJ[ EC2F>2 42C6 2?5 >@C6]k^Am
kAm#646:G:?8 244C65:E2E:@? @C G6C:7:42E:@? 7C@> E96 pr$ :?G@=G6D 2 C:8@C@FD AC@46DD[ :?4=F5:?8 2 56E2:=65 D:E6 G:D:E] %96D6 DE6AD 6?DFC6 E92E 724:=:E:6D >66E 2?5 FA9@=5 E96 9:896DE DE2?52C5D @7 DFC8:42= 42C6 2?5 6E9:4D] x>A@CE2?E=J[ pr$ 244C65:E2E:@? 2?5 G6C:7:42E:@? :D ?@E D@>6E9:?8 E92E 42? ;FDE 36 AFC492D65 3J 2 9@DA:E2=[ :E >FDE 36 62C?65]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mu:?5 2 w@DA:E2=k^DEC@?8m 762EFC6D >2A\32D65 C6DF=ED 7@C 2 BF:4< 2?5 62DJ G:DF2= =@42E:@? @7 9@DA:E2=D 2?5 2 >2A 7F?4E:@? E@ 62D:=J ?2G:82E6 E@ E96 9@DA:E2=] *@F 2=D@ 42? =62C? >@C6 23@FE E96 =:DE @7 pr$ "F2=:EJ !C@8C2>D :? H9:49 2 9@DA:E2= A2CE:4:A2E6D] k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]724D]@C8^BF2=:EJ\AC@8C2>D^E96\A@H6C\@7\BF2=:EJ^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmpr$ "F2=:EJ !C@8C2>Dk^2m 2C6 8C@F?565 :? C:8@C@FD DE2?52C5D 2?5 6G:56?46 E92E 567:?6 H92E @AE:>2= DFC8:42= 42C6 D9@F=5 :?4=F56] %96D6 DE2?52C5D AC@G:56 E96 C@25>2A 7@C 9@DA:E2=D E@ 56G6=@A E96:C AC@46DD6D 2?5 42A23:=:E:6D E@ 56=:G6C 9:89\BF2=:EJ 42C6]k^Am
k5:G DEJ=6lQ>2I\H:5E9i e__AIj H:5E9i e__AIjQmk:>8 DC4lQ9EEADi^^HHH]3C2?5A@:?E4@?E6?E]4@>^:>286D^g`hde34h\_6`5\cacf\3c_d\cc23_24b763f];A8Q 2=ElQ!6CD@? FD:?8 E96 pr$ 2AA @? E96:C A9@?6 E@ 7:?5 2 9@A:E2=]Q H:5E9lQe__Q 3@C56ClQ_Q ^mk^5:Gm
k5:G 4=2DDlQ{:DE:4=6r2AE:@?Q DEJ=6lQ7@?E\D:K6i ``AIjQmk^5:Gm
kAmkDEC@?8mk^Am
kAmw@H 42? x AC6A2C6 7@C DFC86CJnk^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm(96E96C J@F ?665 2 C@FE:?6=J 6?4@F?E6C65 AC@465FC6 @C 92G6 2 4@>A=6I[ 9:89\C:D< 42D6[ E96 kDEC@?8mu:?5 2 w@DA:E2=k^DEC@?8m E@@= 42? 96=A J@F 7:?5 E96 C:89E 9@DA:E2=] p55:E:@?2==J[ E96 pr$ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]724D]@C8^7:?5\2\DFC86@?^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmu:?5 2 $FC86@?k^2m D62C49 E@@= 42? 96=A J@F 7:?5 DFC86@?D H9@ 2C6 u6==@HD @7 E96 pr$ Wupr$X] u6==@HD 2C6 3@2C5\46CE:7:65 DFC86@?D H9@D6 65F42E:@?[ EC2:?:?8[ AC@76DD:@?2= BF2=:7:42E:@?D[ DFC8:42= 4@>A6E6?46 2?5 6E9:42= 4@?5F4E 2C6 C6G:6H65 2?5 4@?D:DE6?E H:E9 E96 9:89 DE2?52C5D @7 E96 pr$]k^Am
kAm%96 pr$ 2=D@ @776CD 2 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]724D]@C8^7@C\A2E:6?ED^AC6A2C:?8\7@C\DFC86CJ^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmC2?86 @7 C6D@FC46Dk^2m E@ 96=A J@F AC6A2C6 7@C DFC86CJ[ :?4=F5:?8 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]724D]@C8^7@C\A2E:6?ED^DFC86CJ\72B^`_\BF6DE:@?D^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmBF6DE:@?D E@ 2D< J@FC DFC86@?k^2m[ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]724D]@C8^7@C\A2E:6?ED^AC6A2C:?8\7@C\DFC86CJ^9@H\?FEC:E:@?\42?\DFAA@CE\J@FC\DFC86CJ^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQm?FEC:E:@? 8F:56Dk^2m 2?5 2 DA64:2=:K65 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]724D]@C8^7@C\A2E:6?ED^AC6A2C:?8\7@C\DFC86CJ^86C:2EC:4\DFC86CJ\A2E:6?E\4964<=:DE^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQm4964<=:DE 7@C @=56C 25F=E DFC8:42= A2E:6?EDk^2m] u@C >@C6 4@>>@? AC@465FC6D[ @FC 8F:56D H2=< A2E:6?ED E9C@F89 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]724D]@C8^7@C\A2E:6?ED^E96\52J\@7\J@FC\DFC86CJ^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmE96 52J @7 DFC86CJk^2m 2?5 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]724D]@C8^7@C\A2E:6?ED^C64@G6C:?8\7C@>\DFC86CJ^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQm@AE:>:K:?8 C64@G6CJk^2m]k^Am
kAm%96 pr$ :D J@FC ECFDE65 D@FC46 H96? J@F 92G6 BF6DE:@?D 23@FE DFC86CJ] ~FC A2E:6?E 65F42E:@? C6D@FC46D 2?5 @FC kDEC@?8mu:?5 2 w@DA:E2=k^DEC@?8m D62C49 E@@= 2C6 56D:8?65 E@ 96=A J@F AC6A2C6 7@C 2? @A6C2E:@? 2?5 E@ 7:?5 E96 36DE 42C6 A@DD:3=6]k^Am
kAm%96 ?6IE E:>6 J@F @C 2 =@G65 @?6 ?665 DFC8:42= 42C6[ >2<6 DFC6 E@ G:D:E k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]724D]@C8QmHHH]724D]@C8k^2m]k^Am
kAmk6>m!2EC:4:2 {] %FC?6C :D E96 tI64FE:G6 s:C64E@C U2>Aj rt~ @7 E96 p>6C:42? r@==686 @7 $FC86@?D[ E96 =2C86DE AC@76DD:@?2= 2DD@4:2E:@? @7 DFC86@?D :? E96 H@C=5[ 7@F?565 :? `h`b]k^6>mk^Am
