FLUSHING, N.Y., June 20, 2006 -- In response to a growing need for transparency and clarity in data available to assess the outcomes (results) of medical treatment and surgical procedures at hospitals nationwide, New York Hospital Queens has published "Raising the Bar: A Report to Physicians on Surgical Outcomes."

The report compares surgical outcomes for five procedures over a six-year period against results published in peer-reviewed literature currently considered to be the gold standard. The procedures assessed include laparoscopic gastric bypass (bariatric surgery), carotid artery endarterectomy, endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, open colectomy, and laparscopic colectomy. Surgical results reported in "Raising the Bar" aggregate the results of all surgeons operating in the hospital, both faculty and voluntary. Additionally, the report contains excerpts of the risk-adjusted mortality statistics for cardiac surgery, as reported annually by the New York State Department of Health.

"Increasingly, institutions talk about evidence-based medicine, outcomes and 'report cards.' Our outcomes are excellent, and we are committed to a continuous process of improvement in both safety and quality," said Stephen S. Mills, President and Chief Executive Officer. "We are taking a leadership role by measuring our results -- and sharing our outcomes with physicians and the community to encourage continual examination and improvement," Mills added.

"If you don't measure, you don't know where you stand -- and neither do patients and physicians who are trying to make smart choices," said James W. Turner, M.D., Chairman, Department of Surgery. "We offer a comprehensive look at how we perform, over time, on both complex and common surgeries because we know that a commitment to quality outcomes by both the surgeon and institution make an exceptionally powerful patient-centered alliance," Dr. Turner added.

Later this year, the hospital will begin formal participation in a major national initiative sponsored by the American College of Surgeons. Called the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program, it is a tested, proven, risk-adjusted process to improve surgical care by measuring operative mortality and morbidity. Other participants include hospitals such as Brigham and Women's, Johns Hopkins, and Massachusetts General, against which New York Hospital Queens will benchmark local surgical results.

New Consumer Guide for Surgery Decisions

Concurrent with the publication of the report to physicians, New York Hospital Queens is offering consumers a new resource to assist in making decisions with their doctor about surgery. "Now what do you do? A Guide to Managing Surgery," includes questions to ask of a surgeon and a hospital. The new guide is being widely distributed through community groups, physician practices, and online (in six languages).

Both publications are available for download online via http://www.nyhq.org/surgery.html (click on surgery website link).

New York Hospital Queens is a member of the New York-Presbyterian Healthcare System and is an affiliate of the Weill Medical College of Cornell University.

Contact: Cynthia Bacon (718) 670-2515
http://nyhq.org/