For those who are too remote from Baltimore or wherever, the internet lists other hospitals in queries like “The Best Hospital in Philadelphia,” “The Best Hospital in Wilmington,” etc. (There are approximately 5,000 hospitals nationwide.)
Hospital ratings are based on two sets of criteria:
1. Statistics (including especially):
fatality rates
patient safety
volume of procedures
2. Specialties (overall ratings are based on the total number of “specialties”):
cancer neurology/neurosurgery cardiology/heart surgery ophthalmology diabetes and endocrinology orthopedics ear, nose, and throat psychiatry | gastroenterology pulmonology geriatrics rehabilitation gynecology rheumatology nephrology urology |
But for professionals working in Disability Management programs in the workplace, there are more important issues than best ratings.
The first responsibility of the rehabilitation professional in a Disability Management program is to get the injured worker to the nearest source for emergency treatment. However, after stabilization, the company and the worker’s family may want to consider other feasible treatment options, which might include moving the injured worker to a hospital which specializes in the particular specialty needed.
Disability Management program specialists need to have written procedures for dealing with workplace injuries or illnesses, including the appropriate hospital. Since good hospitals are dynamic and frequently upgrade procedures, workplace professionals need to keep pace.
- Has your company had experiences recently with injured or ill workers who required hospitalization?
- How would you rate your last hospital experience?
- Can you describe your best and worst hospital experiences?
