U.S. News again names Tulane Medical Center a high-performing hospital

Tulane Medical Center has again been recognized as a High-Performing Hospital by U.S. News & World Report for its treatment of two of the region's most serious health concerns - chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and heart failure.

Additionally, the publication's 2019-20 rankings also note Tulane Medical Center as a high-performing facility in nephrology services.

This designation is part of the publication's annual Best Hospitals rankings, which evaluates more than 4,500 hospitals nationwide. The Best Hospitals methodologies include objective measures such as patient survival, the number of times a given procedure is performed, infection rates, adequacy of nursing staff and more.

"Together with the physicians of the Tulane University School of Medicine, we have set a goal of achieving Best Hospitals Honor Roll status for an academic medical center, representing the pinnacle in quality care, patient safety and reputation," said Randy Moresi, interim CEO of Tulane Health System. "There has been tremendous work already to build and improve processes, elevate our quality of care and better validate the amazing work provided at Tulane's campuses every day.

"These recognitions are evidence we're on the right track. I'm proud of the work we're doing and even prouder of the skilled, compassionate teams who are doing it."

The annual ratings, now in their fifth year, are designed to assist patients and their doctors in making informed decisions about where to receive care for common conditions and elective procedures. Fewer than a third of all hospitals received any high-performing rating.

"For 30 years, U.S. News has strived to make hospital quality more transparent to healthcare consumers nationwide," said Ben Harder, the publication's managing editor and chief of health analysis. "By providing the most comprehensive data available on nearly every hospital across the United States, we give patients, families and physicians information to support their search for the best care across a range of procedures, conditions and specialties."

Heart failure occurs when the heart muscle is weakened and cannot pump enough blood to adequately meet the body's needs for blood and oxygen. About 5.7 million adults in the United States have heart failure, and the condition is a contributing cause in one in nine deaths.

Tulane Health System offers a comprehensive heart failure management program that includes diagnosis, medication, treatment and communication initiatives, with the overall goal of improving patients' quality of life while minimizing the need for hospitalization.

COPD includes emphysema, chronic bronchitis and other diseases that cause breathing problems. Nearly 16 million Americans have been diagnosed with COPD. Tulane Health System, with generous support from the Dorney-Koppel Foundation, has developed the Grace Anne Dorney Pulmonary Cardiac Rehabilitation Center, a dedicated, multidisciplinary unit focused on providing treatment for conditions like COPD.

The U.S. News rankings are among several recent quality awards earned by Tulane Medical Center. Last year, the hospital was named a Top 50 Cardiovascular Hospital by IBM Watson Health and a World's Best Hospital by Newsweek.