Health Alliance Places 14 Programs Among the Nation's Best

Cincinnati & Hamilton, OH - The Christ Hospital, The University Hospital and Fort Hamilton Hospital have placed 14 of their patient care programs among the nation's best in the 2005 U.S.News & World Report annual guide to "America's Best Hospitals." The listings will appear in the July 18 issue of U.S.News & World Report.

The programs at The Christ Hospital ranked in the "America's Best Hospitals" listing include: Digestive Disorders (47), Geriatrics (35), Gynecology (33), Heart and Heart Surgery (28), Neurology and Neurosurgery (39) and Respiratory Disorders (33). The University Hospital received rankings in the categories of Digestive Disorders (42), Ear, Nose and Throat (14), Geriatrics (43), Hormonal Disorders (33), Neurology and Neurosurgery (43), Respiratory Disorders (27) and Urology (43). Fort Hamilton Hospital was ranked in the category of Respiratory Disorders (38).

The U.S.News & World Report "America's Best Hospitals" ranks 17 different medical specialties at hospitals nationwide. The standards for ranking in "Best Hospitals" are rigorous. To be considered at all for this list, hospitals had to meet any of three standards: membership in the Council of Teaching Hospitals, affiliation with a medical school, or availability of at least nine of 18 key technology-related services. In each specialty, a hospital must have performed a given number of defined procedures or had to be recommended by at least one physician responding to U.S. News surveys in the past three years. These hospitals received a score that equally weighed reputation, death rate and care-related factors such as nursing and patient services.

The Christ Hospital, The University Hospital and Fort Hamilton Hospital are part of the Health Alliance, an integrated health care delivery system that also includes The St. Luke Hospitals, The Jewish Hospital and the physicians of Alliance Primary Care. To view other Health Alliance news releases, go to www.health-alliance.com/pressroom .