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AG hospital leads county in hip surgery mortality rates

November 7, 2016

Arroyo Grande Community Hospital

Arroyo Grande Community Medical Center had the highest rate of mortality in patients who underwent surgery following a hip fracture in San Luis Obispo County in 2013 and 2014, though it is no longer the leader in the state of California, according to a recently released report by the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD).

Statewide, 5.2 percent of elderly patients who underwent surgery for hip fractures at California hospitals died within 30 days of admission, according to the OSHPD report. The report included information from 301 hospitals.

In 2013 and 2014, nine out of 83— or 10.8 percent – of patients who underwent hip surgeries at Arroyo Grande Community Hospital died within 30 days of admission, down from a 13.3 percent mortality rate in 2012 and 2013.

Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center performed significantly better than other San Luis Obispo County hospitals with two out of 83 hip surgery patients – or 2.4 percent – dying within 30 days of surgery. Next, French Hospital Medical Center had a 5.8 percent mortality rate and Twins Cities Community Hospital had an 8.3 percent mortality rate.

Between January 2013 and December 2014, a total of 38,069 patients (age 65 and above) were admitted to California hospitals with a hip fracture that required surgical repair. Of these patients, 1,989 patients died within 30 days of admission, either in the hospital or following discharge.

“Hip fracture is a serious public health concern that results in long-term functional impairment, nursing home admissions, and increased mortality,” OSHPD said in its report. “The economic burden of hip fracture and related care is huge. Costs in the United States reach $17 billion a year. Because of California’s aging population, the burden of hip fracture is likely to grow in coming years.”


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Wake up people. QUALITY of care is in a tragic death spiral in the USA.


Medical Errors Are No. 3 Cause Of U.S Deaths. The latest numbers are 250,000 to 400,000 deaths per year from mistakes.


Quite simply, the hospital is the most dangerous place in the US.


http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/05/03/476636183/death-certificates-undercount-toll-of-medical-errors


While our politicians like Lois Capps ONLY focus on the cost of care and the access to care, quality is the biggest concern. Lois, an educated nurse, should know better.


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Maynard G. Krebs would not have considered AG hospital a very hip joint!


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In light of the valid comments in prior post and the stats from other hospitals, this is a non-story; particularly since with low numbers, a change in one patient equals near double digit percentage points.


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This report is a little tainted as it appears that they are putting hip replacement operations all into 1 category-the elderly.

When some elderly suffer from broken hips or hip replacement the cause of death can be attributed to other factors that are not necessarily related to the operation itself. I have read where many elderly will suffer from pneumonia and succumb to that and not from the operation itself.

Then you have people who are in good health who get a hip replacement because that is their only problem.

I think the real issue here is how many deaths are attributed directly to the care one receives in the hospital. When I had a knee replacement my doctor said he had to get me out of the hospital as soon as possible so that I wouldn’t get infected as I was not sick. That was scary as I thought a hospital would be clean but I guess staph infection is a big deal that most hospitals don’t want to talk about.

There probably more to this topic that would of interest to everyone when they have the opportunity to choose a hospital.


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