State\'s Stroke Mortality Rates Decrease
Thousands of Californians suffer ischemic strokes every year, and their chances or survival depend on fairly quick interventions in the hospital setting.
According to new data from the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development, the state's hospitals fared slightly better in treating ischemic stroke victims between January 2012 and November 2013 than in the prior 2011-12 period.
Altogether, the 274 hospitals surveyed that treated such stroke patients experienced an overall mortality rate of 10.4%, compared to 10.2% in the prior reporting period. A total of 7,340 patients died out of the 70,447 ischemic stroke hospitalizations. Of those, 3,486 patients, or 47.5%, died while they were still in the hospital.
A total of 18 hospitals – nine apiece – were rated as either better or worse than average for outcomes when treating ischemic stroke victims. The nine hospitals that were ranked better than average included Whittier Hospital Medical Center (a risk-adjusted mortality rate of 3.32%); Desert Valley Hospital in Victorville (4.42%); White Memorial Medical Center in Los Angeles (5.54%); Garfield Medical Center in Monterey Park (5.76%); Kaiser Hospital in San Rafael (6.06%); Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital (6.46%); Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles (6.51%); Fountain Valley Regional Hospital (6.88%); California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco (6.76%).
Among those that were rated as worse than average were Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center (27.65%); San Joaquin General Hospital in French Camp (19.31%); San Francisco General Hospital (18.74%); Kaiser Hospital in Panorama City (18.28%); Queen of the Valley Hospital in Napa County (16.67%); Mercy Medical Center in Redding (14.35%); Kaweah Delta Medical Center (13.93%); and Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno (13.92%).
Seven hospitals were also rated worse than average for readmissions (the statewide average for readmission within 30 days was 12.4%) and three were rated better than average.
A total of 48 hospitals had fewer than 30 admissions for ischemic stroke in 2012-13, and they were not included in the official totals. The mortality rates ranged from zero to nearly 70% (four deaths out of six patients admitted).
Only one letter of comment was received from a hospital that was surveyed, according to OSHPD spokesperson David Byrnes. It was from Glendale Adventist Medical Center, which performed within the statewide averages for all hospitals. The hospital said it was pleased by the results.
