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St. Elizabeth Community Hospital Top Hospital 7-time honoree By Rich Greene, DN Staff Writer St. Elizabeth Community Hospital had a number of reasons to celebrate, but none stood out more than the number 7. During the month of May, National Hospital Week and National Nurses Week is the backdrop for the hospital to celebrate with a barbecue lunch and to highlight its seventh consecutive year being named one of the Nation's 100 Top Hospitals. The award was given out by Truven Health Analytics, formerly the health care business of Thomson Reuters. "It's a family effort," President Todd Smith said. He later told those in attendance that spirit is what makes the hospital special. The hospital was further honored by recognitions from U.S. Rep. Doug LaMalfa and State Sen. Jim Nielsen. "I kind of put this as a permanent thing on my schedule," Nielsen's aid Jerry Crow joked. No other hospital in the state of California of any size has achieved this honor. Only around 35 hospitals in the entire country have received the Top 100 recognition more times than St. Elizabeth, Smith said. Sister Pat Manoli, Senior Director of Mission Integration, said it was good that community members have a state-of-the-art facility with all their needs in their backyard. One that's 106 years old, she added. The Top 100 list is made up after a study evaluates each hospital's performances in 10 areas: Mortality; medical complications; patient safety; average patient stay; expenses; probability; patient satisfaction; adherence to clinical standards of care; post-discharge mortality; and readmission rates for acute myocardial infraction (heart attack), heart failure and pneumonia. Smith said the hospital isn't about to take its annual place on the list for granted. "No way, there's too much going on in health care to take anything for granted," Smith said. Smith said the hospital is striving to increase the new era of health care, in which people in the community get care that prevents them from ending up in the hospital to begin with. "St. Elizabeth Community Hospital has achieved what other providers only imagine solely due to the team of dedicated and highly skilled employees, medical staff and volunteers." Todd Smith President www.redbluff.mercy.org 2 Dignity Health Hospitals in the North State include Mercy Medical Center Mt. Shasta, Mercy Medical Center Redding, and St. Elizabeth Community Hospital in Red Bluff. 2013 - Tehama County Medical Guide

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