Healthgrades ranked Huntsville Hospital’s spine surgery program among America’s “100 Best Hospitals” for the second consecutive year. Huntsville Hospital is the only Alabama hospital to receive this distinction in 2015. (CONTRIBUTED)

HUNTSVILLE – For the second consecutive year, Healthgrades has recognized Huntsville Hospital as one of America’s “100 Best Hospitals” for spine surgery.

Huntsville Hospital is the only hospital in the state of Alabama to receive this distinction in 2015.

Healthgrades is a leading online resource for healthcare consumers. The company evaluated approximately 4,500 hospitals nationwide for 33 of the most common inpatient procedures and conditions. Using their findings, Healthgrades identified the best performing hospitals within each procedure.

The ratings are “a great recognition of the quality of our Spine Surgery program,” Jeff Samz said. Samz works as Chief Operating Officer for the Huntsville Hospital Health System.

“To be included among the best in the nation and to be the only hospital recognized in Alabama is a reflection of the great work done by our team,” Samz said.

Huntsville Hospital’s achievement was included in Healthgrades 2015 “Report to the Nation,” which demonstrates how clinical performance differs dramatically between hospitals and the impact that this variation may have on health outcomes and organizational costs.

For its analysis, Healthgrades evaluated Medicare patient outcomes over a three-year period (2011-2013) and assigned ratings based on the predicted outcome versus the actual outcome.

Healthgrades recognizes “a hospital’s quality achievements for cohort-specific performance, specialty area performance and overall clinical quality,” Samz said. Statistically, individual procedure or condition cohorts are designated as 5-star (better than expected), 3-star (as expected) and 1-star (worse than expected) categories.

Huntsville Hospital was a 5-star recipient for spinal fusion surgery for five consecutive years.

Huntsville Hospital’s performance received several continuing distinctions from Healthgrades in spinal care for 2014 and 2015, including the Spine Surgery Excellence Award and ranking among the top five percent nationally for spine surgery.

Samz acknowledged all members of the spine surgery team, “along with our physician partners at the Spine & Neuro Center and TOC Spine Center for earning this distinction and continuing to deliver quality care.”