Orlando Health Earns Top Marks for Patient Care

By Alan Schmadtke, Editorial Contributor

Consumers frequently turn to rankings and reviews to decide where to eat, buy a car – and get their healthcare.

When researching a hospital or doctor, rankings are one tool that can help consumers make the best choice by looking at patient care and comments, outcomes, readmissions and other measures.

Last year, Orlando Health hospitals collected a virtual trophy case full of awards and accolades from groups that evaluate healthcare professionals, including U.S. News & World Report and IBM Watson Health 100 Top Hospitals.

“Providing the communities we serve with the highest quality healthcare possible is our top priority,” says Dr. George Ralls, chief medical officer at Orlando Health. “The designations reflect our physicians’ and team members’ abilities and commitment to provide expert specialty care.”

Google can be particularly helpful because it provides a sweeping, unfiltered platform for consumer reviews of any business entity. In fact, 37 percent of patients use online reviews to help guide them in selecting a doctor, according to a survey by NRC Health, which collects and analyzes healthcare consumer data.

Of the thousands of reviews about Orlando Health that were submitted to Google in 2021, three out of four were five-star ratings and included praise for doctors, physician assistants, nurses and medical technicians.

National Honors

That grass-roots commentary about how Orlando Health cares for its patients is confirmed by the national recognition the healthcare system received in 2021:

• Top national rankings on the IBM Watson Health 100 Top Hospitals list
• A 12^th year on the top 50 list of Best Children’s Hospitals from U.S. News & World Report for Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children
• Top Hospital designations for five facilities from the patient-safety advocates at The Leapfrog Group
• “A” safety grades for four hospitals from The Leapfrog Group
• A Best Regional Hospital designation for three hospitals from U.S. News & World Report
• Beacon Awards for Excellence in bedside care from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses for 22 hospital units — nearly half of Florida’s 45 total

What It Means

For its 2021 list of 100 Top Hospitals, IBM Watson Health measured nearly 2,700 U.S. hospitals on key clinical and operational performance indicators, including, for the first time, contributions to community health. Orlando Health hospitals on the list demonstrated excellence in clinical outcomes, operational efficiency, patient experience and financial health.

As part of its 2021-22 Best Hospitals ratings, U.S. News & World Report evaluated more than 4,750 medical centers on common adult procedures and conditions. Fewer than a third received any high-performing rating. Orlando Health earned high-performing ratings in 13 categories, indicating care significantly better than the national average.

The Leapfrog Group, an independent national organization committed to healthcare quality, issues quarterly grade cards based on more than 30 measures from the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). While 2,200 U.S. hospitals are eligible for its annual rankings, only 149 made the lists. In Florida, four of the nine Top Teaching Hospitals for 2021 are part of Orlando Health.

“These awards are further confirmation that patients can be confident in Orlando Health’s dedication to providing the best care in the region,” Dr. Ralls says.