How Good is Your Hospital?

Yesterday we had a patron ask if there was a free source for the ratings that Healthgrades.com assigns to hospitals. We've ordered a reference directory called Healthgrades Guide to America's Hospitals and Doctors. Until it comes in, you can check out hospitalcompare.hhs.gov. This government web site has the same data (collected from Medicare and Medicaid patients) that Healthgrades uses to grade hospitals. You can find out general statistics, or statistics specific to a certain type of medical condition or surgical procedure, for each hospital.