Freeman ranked No. 4 hospital in state by U.S. News & World Report

JOPLIN, Mo.—U.S. News & World Report today released its annual Best Hospitals rankings. The report, which for 24 years has saluted the nation’s premier hospitals, ranked Freeman Health System No. 4 in the state of Missouri for a second consecutive year. In addition, Freeman was recognized among the U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals in Southwest Missouri and received special designation in seven high-performing specialties, including diabetes and endocrinology, gastroenterology and gastrointestinal surgery, geriatrics, nephrology, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopaedics, and pulmonology.

“This achievement should resonate with each Freeman employee,” said Paula Baker, Freeman President and Chief Executive Officer. “It is a nod to the skill of their hands, the depth of their dedication, and the breadth of their knowledge. What an honor it is to have a nationally known, well-respected entity such as US News & World Report recognize those very traits. Every day I am proud of our Freeman family. This day, that is especially true.”

This year’s Best Hospitals report showcases 732 of the nation’s roughly 4,800 hospitals. The hospital rankings, said U.S. News Health Rankings Editor Avery Comarow, are intended to help steer patients to hospitals with strong skills in the procedures and medical conditions that present the biggest challenges. “A hospital that emerges from our analysis as one of the best has much to be proud of,” said Comarow. “Only about 15 percent of hospitals are recognized among their region’s best.”

The Best Hospitals report judges medical centers on their competence in high-stakes situations. According to U.S. News & World Report, a ranked hospital in neurology and neurosurgery, for example, faces far more complicated conditions than other hospitals. Other hospital ratings examine how well hospitals treat conditions or perform procedures. The rankings reflect how a hospital responds to patients who are especially at risk because of age, physical condition, infirmities, or the challenging nature of the surgery or other care needed. U.S. News ranks hospitals in 16 different specialties.
The specialty rankings and data were produced for U.S. News by RTI International, a leading research organization based in Research Triangle Park, N.C. The rankings have been published at health.usnews.com/best-hospitals and will appear in print in the U.S. News “Best Hospitals 2014” guidebook, available August 27. 

About Freeman Health System

Based in Joplin, Mo., and proudly recognized as the Best Hospital in southwest Missouri—as well as ranked #4 in the state—by US News & World Report, Freeman Health System provides comprehensive healthcare and behavioral health services, including cancer care, heart and vascular care, neurosciences, orthopaedics, and women’s services. The area’s only locally owned, not-for-profit health system, Freeman has more than 300 physicians representing 60 specialties serving southwest Missouri, southeast Kansas, northeast Oklahoma, and northwest Arkansas. For more information, visit freemanhealth.com or facebook.com/freemanhealthsystem, or follow Freeman President and Chief Executive Officer Paula Baker at twitter.com/freemanceo.