Top Georgia hospitals for 2009

By Matt Dempsey

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

More than half of 113 Georgia hospitals rated a nine or ten on a ten point scale by patients, according to a survey conducted by Medicare in 2008.

Seven hospitals in the state have even greater bragging rights.

Those seven hospitals had 75 percent or more of their patients give top scores in the survey. Hughston Hospital in Columbus had 89 percent of patients give an overall rating of 9 or 10 in the survey (out of 10) to earn top honors for the state.

Locally, Piedmont Hospital performed the best in the survey with 77 percent of patients providing top marks.

Grady Hospital had 51 percent of patients giving the hospital a nine or ten on the survey (out of 10).

Ratings are taken from the Hospital Care Quality Information from the Consumer Perspective Hospital Survey.

For more information:

http://www.hcahpsonline.org

Statewide:

1. Hughston Hospital, Columbus, 89%

2. Union General Hospital, Blairsville, 82%

3. Clinch Memorial Hospital, Homerville, 80%

4. Polk Medical Center, Cedartown, 77%

5. Piedmont Hospital, Atlanta, 77%

6. Wesley Woods Geriatric Hospital, Atlanta, 75%

7. Tanner Medical Center Villa Ricca, Villa Rica, 75%

8.(tie) Emory Johns Creek Hospital, Johns Creek, 74%

8.(tie) Athens Regional Medical Center, Athens, 74%

10. University Hospital, Augusta, GA, 73%

Metro area:

1. Piedmont Hospital, Atlanta, 77%

2. Wesley Woods Geriatric Hospital, Atlanta, 75%

3. Northside Hospital, Atlanta, 72%

4. Emory University Hospital, Atlanta, 70%

5. St. Joseph's Hospital of Atlanta Inc., Atlanta, 69%