For the second year in a row, Trinity Medical Center has been ranked number one in Alabama for clinical excellence in overall cardiac services, according to a comprehensive study released by HealthGrades, the nation's leading independent healthcare ratings company. In addition, the study rated Trinity Medical Center best in the Birmingham area for cardiology services and cardiac interventional procedures including angioplasties and stents. The hospital received five-star ratings for interventional procedures and treatment of heart failure and atrial fibrillation. "This achievement would not be possible without our cardiologists who have a commitment to quality that exceeds any group of physicians that I have ever worked with," said Vicki Briggs, CEO of Trinity Medical Center. "Many are national leaders in cardiology, training physicians in advanced procedures and techniques. The hospital provides the platform for the physicians to be the best by providing the latest technology and ensuring that we have qualified staff to support them. The most rewarding aspect of this recognition is in knowing what an impact the care we provide has made to our patients." As part of its ninth annual Hospital Quality in America Study, HealthGrades independently analyzed more than 5,000 hospitals in all 50 states and the District of Columbia for its 2007 ratings, objectively assessing their clinical outcomes and quality. The 40 million hospitalization records utilized in the assessment are publicly available and licensed from the federal government's Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The HealthGrades ratings take into account varying degrees of patient severity from hospital to hospital and measure whether patient outcomes for each of more than two dozen procedures and diagnoses are better than expected (5-Star), as expected (3-Star) or worse than expected (1-Star). "HealthGrades objectively assesses and rates hospital performance in order to help consumers make better and more informed healthcare choices," explained Dr. Samantha Collier, HealthGrades vice president of medical affairs. "With consumers having a greater stake in their healthcare purchasing decisions, it's important for them to know that there is a tremendous difference in clinical quality outcomes between hospitals." "In Birmingham, Trinity Medical Center stands out notably in terms of delivering quality care for its cardiac patients," Collier added. "Patients, families and employers here truly have access to healthcare that is among the best in the nation." February 2007