Special to The Post-Searchlight

For the third consecutive year, Georgia Trend magazine has named Archbold Memorial Hospital a “Top Georgia Hospital,” and the best in southwest Georgia, according to a Archbold press release.

Overall, Archbold ranked sixth out of hospitals in Georgia with 151 to 399 patient beds. All four Archbold hospitals achieved high rankings in their respective patient bed categories.

Archbold’s sustained focus on overall quality of care has also made the hospital the region’s leader in National Core Measures, recommended standardized measures of clinical care, adherence to which usually leads to better treatment outcomes for patients.

“We know patients place extraordinary trust in their caregivers, and in turn our medical and clinical staff works very hard to ensure patients receive the right care at the right time,” said Dr. Mel Hartsfield, vice president of medical affairs.

Publicly available information on quality of care, patient satisfaction, mortality, readmission statistics and data on hospital acquired infections and conditions was used to compile the rankings. The data was acquired from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS).

The Georgia Trend ranking marks the conclusion of another exceptional year for Archbold.

In 2012, Archbold Memorial and its affiliates, Brooks County Hospital, Grady General Hospital and Mitchell County Hospital, were named to the Georgia Hospital Association’s Quality Honor Roll, a recognition also based on quality indicator data received from CMS.

Archbold also celebrated the opening of the hospital’s new North Tower, a modern replacement for key patient services including a new Emergency Department, Surgery Department and 114 new private patient rooms.

And recently, the Archbold Women’s Center was awarded a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence accreditation by the American College of Radiology, the only facility in the region to receive the distinction.

“Our vision is to be the best healthcare system in the region,” said Perry Mustian, Archbold president and CEO. “It’s rewarding to be named among the best in the state for what we do, and the fact all four Archbold hospitals were named to the list of Top Georgia Hospitals is truly a reflection of the strong emphasis our entire health system places on high-quality, patient-focused care and patient safety.”