FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:                                                 

October 17, 2005

CONTACT:            

Johnny Smith

St. Vincent Health

(317) 538-2209

Elizabeth Cisco

The Heart Center of Indiana

(317) 583-5131

St. Vincent Health Hospitals Nationally Recognized For Cardiac Care

The Heart Center of Indiana and St. Vincent Indianapolis Hospital
Host Press Conference

INDIANAPOLIS, IN (October 17, 2005) – The Heart Center of Indiana and St. Vincent Indianapolis Hospital are ranked the top two hospitals in Indiana for cardiology and cardiac interventions, according to a study released today by HealthGrades, the nation’s leading provider of independent hospital ratings.  The study analyzed nearly 5,000 hospitals in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Both St. Vincent Health affiliated hospitals are ranked among the top five percent of hospitals in the United States for cardiology and cardiac interventions, and top 10 percent for overall cardiac care in the nation.  The new HealthGrades study bolsters the reputation of St. Vincent Health as the cardiac leader in Indiana and throughout the nation. 

The HealthGrades study rates hospitals on a five-star scale for patient outcomes.  The Heart Center of Indiana and St. Vincent Indianapolis Hospital both received the highest possible five-star ratings for the treatment of heart attack and for cardiac interventions.  Both facilities also received a five-star rating for the treatment of heart failure.

“St. Vincent Health is committed to delivering quality, compassionate cardiac care to our patients and providing health care that is safe for everyone throughout the state of Indiana,” says Vincent Caponi, CEO of St. Vincent Health.  “The admirable HealthGrades rating is another testament to our focus of the total patient – mind, body and spirit.  We will continue to enhance our care at the statewide level, and serve as a model for exceptional cardiology practices for all Indiana hospitals.”

“The Mission for The Heart Center of Indiana calls for high quality care, exceptional customer service and teamwork,” says John Stewart, President and CEO for The Heart Center of Indiana.  “We are very proud and excited to be recognized for having accomplished this in such a way, both in Indiana and nationally.”

“The Heart Center of Indiana offers state of the art care to our patients and we are thrilled to receive this recognition,” says Richard I. Fogel, MD, a cardiologist in practice with The Care Group and Vice Chairman of Board for The Heart Center of Indiana.  “Our patients outcomes speak for themselves when it comes to the quality of care they receive here.”

 As part of its eighth annual Hospital Quality in America Study, HealthGrades independently analyzed nearly 5,000 hospitals in all 50 states and the District of Columbia for its 2006 ratings, objectively assessing their clinical outcomes and quality.  The data utilized in the assessment is licensed from the federal government’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.  The HealthGrades ratings measure whether patient outcomes are better than expected (5-Star), as expected (3-Star) or worse than expected (1-Star) for more than two dozen procedures and diagnoses.

“HealthGrades objectively rates hospitals' performance to help consumers make better health care choices, and it’s clear that both The Heart Center of Indiana and St. Vincent Indianapolis Hospital provide outstanding cardiac care.  The people of Indianapolis should be secure knowing they have top-notch care in their own backyard," said Samantha Collier, M.D., HealthGrades vice president of medical affairs. 

The 2006 HealthGrades ratings for all hospitals nationwide are available, free of charge, on the web at www.healthgrades.com.  More than two-and-a-half million unique users and 125 major employers visit the HealthGrades web site every month to access quality information about hospitals, nursing homes and physicians.  HealthGrades also provides consumers and payers with detailed assessments of hospitals’ patient safety outcomes, based on indicators developed by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

About the Heart Center of Indiana

The Heart Center of Indiana (THCI) is a three-year-old specialty hospital that handles more than 5,500 admissions each year. As the first freestanding medical campus in Indiana devoted entirely to the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of cardiovascular disease, THCI is dedicated to excellence and continuous improvement. THCI has partnered with its clinicians to establish a center for world-class, patient-focused care, including four surgery suites and four catheterization labs. One of the key features of THCI is the “universal bed” concept that makes the facility essentially an 80-bed ICU. There are also 21 outpatient beds in the Short-Stay Unit, and six beds in the Heart Emergency Unit.

St.Vincent Hospitals and Health Services

Launched by four Daughters of Charity who arrived in Indianapolis in 1881 with $34.77 in their pockets, the mission of St.Vincent is to treat the poor and sick by following our Core Values of Service to the Poor, Reverence, Integrity, Wisdom, Creativity and Dedication. Our healthcare ministry has grown to include St.Vincent Indianapolis Hospital, St.Vincent Children’s Hospital, St.Vincent Women’s Hospital, the St.Vincent Pediatric Rehabiliation Center and the St.Vincent Stress Center. St.Vincent is known for programs in cardiology and neurosciences and holds the Certification for Disease Specific Care in Joint Replacement and Primary Stroke Center from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.

The ageless mission of St.Vincent remains unchanged: to minister to the minds, bodies and spirits of those in need.

About The Care Group, LLC

The Care Group, LLC is recognized internationally as one of the premier sites for cardiovascular services and research.  The practice has 136 physicians in 55 office and clinic locations throughout Indiana, with The

Heart Center of Indiana, St. Vincent Hospital and Methodist Hospital serving as its flagship locations.  Its physicians pioneered many of the common treatments in cardiology today, including angioplasty, atherectomy and intra-coronary stents.

About HealthGrades

HealthGrades (Nasdaq:HGRD) is the leading healthcare ratings company, providing ratings and profiles of hospitals, nursing homes and physicians to consumers, corporations, health plans and hospitals. Millions of consumers and hundreds of the nation’s largest employers, health plans and hospitals rely on HealthGrades’ independent ratings to make healthcare decisions based on the quality of care. More information on the company can be found at http://www.healthgrades.com.