By Mark Scott
Buffalo, NY – The newest report card on hospital quality in New York was released Sunday morning.
The Niagara Health Quality Coalition compiled the data, which measures such things as hospital mortality and infection rates. Coalition President Bruce Boissonnault says the report, which is available at the coalition web site, gives patients and their families the information they need to assess where they will receive the best care.
Boissonnault says the 2007 data show statewide, the risk adjusted mortality rate for nearly all procedures and conditions continued to improve. But he says variations in quality between hospitals remain high.
"We urge patients and their families to do their homework in selecting a hospital and to discuss this information with their family physician before an emergency arises," Boissonnault said.
The report shows that the region's top hospitals are all performing at the state average when it comes to surviving a heart attack. Buffalo General Hospital does better in the treatment of congestive heart failure, reporting fewer deaths than the state average.