OXFORD, Miss., March 20, 2009 – HealthGrades, a national health care ratings organization, recently announced that Baptist North Mississippi has the state's top-rated cardiac surgery and coronary interventional procedures program, and its orthopedic and cardiac surgery services rank in the top 10 percent in the nation.

In HealthGrades’ 2009 ratings, Baptist North Mississippi also earned five stars – the highest score – for several orthopedic procedures, including overall orthopedic services, spine surgery, hip fracture repair, back and neck surgery, carotid surgery and prostatectomy. The ratings are based on hospital data from 2005, 2006 and 2007. Baptist North Mississippi also received five stars for its coronary bypass surgery services.

“We are thrilled to receive these HealthGrades distinctions,” said Don Hutson, administrator and CEO of Baptist North Mississippi. “This honor would not be possible without the highly skilled and dedicated physicians, nurses and staff who work tirelessly every day to help ensure our patients receive high-quality care. The HealthGrades rankings prove they give the best care in the state.”

HealthGrades Inc. offers patients, providers, employers and others decision support tools and services that measure, evaluate and improve quality, including objective health care provider ratings and advisory services. With extensive experience in health information and quality, HealthGrades compiles outcomes data from more than 70 independent sources, including the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and state hospital and medical board records. HealthGrades risk-adjusts the data using advanced statistical techniques to make valid comparisons between providers; translates the data into easily understandable, objective ratings; and uses the information to assess and improve the quality of health care.

Baptist North Mississippi is a 217-bed hospital in Oxford, Miss., that offers a variety of services including cardiovascular surgery, neurosurgery, home care and hospice and a 24-hour emergency room. A recent expansion project brought a new emergency department, additional surgery suites and patient rooms and enhanced outpatient services. Since the hospital joined the Baptist system in 1989, Baptist has invested more than $140 million into the facility.

For more information, please call 662-232-8100 or visit northmiss.baptistonline.org. For more information about HealthGrades, visit www.healthgrades.com.