John Muir Health is committed to providing quality health care for the community. The awards received each year by John Muir Health's hospitals, other entities and services reflect these ongoing efforts.

John Muir Health's medical centers are two of only three California hospitals to receive the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association's Get With the Guidelines SM (GWTG) program Triple Performance Achievement award for 2008 for stroke, heart failure, and coronary artery disease. John Muir Health's hospitals are the only two recognized with this quality improvement achievement in Northern California.

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Health System Awards

John Muir Medical Center—Voted BayAreaParent Family Favorite Hospital

John Muir Medical Center - Walnut Creek and Concord Campus has again been recognized as the Best of the Best Family Favorite Hospital by BayAreaParent readers. As the premier location for families embarking on pregnancy, children who need expert care, or those seeking additional health care services, John Muir facilitates top-notch experiences for families throughout the Bay Area. Every year, BayAreaParent invites readers to cast their votes for the best family favorite business among 38 categories. With 47% more votes cast this year than in previous years, the Best of the Best issue, released on July 27th, has touted John Muir Medical Center as a family favorite. In addition to this prestigious award, John Muir was inducted into the Best of the Best Family Favorite Hall of Fame. This distinct honor is awarded to businesses that have been recognized as the best for multiple years; John Muir has been voted Best Hospital in 2007, 2008 and 2009.

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John Muir Medical Center-Walnut Creek Campus in Top 50 for Orthopedics and Digestive Disorders

2009 -- WALNUT CREEK, CA – John Muir Medical Center - Walnut Creek Campus has again been ranked one of the nation's top hospitals by U.S.News & World Report in its annual list of America's Best Hospitals, that will appear in the July 21 issue of the magazine. The only non-academic medical center in northern California to appear in the Top 50, John Muir Medical Center – Walnut Creek Campus is named #49 in Digestive Disorders and #39 in Orthopedics, making the hospital one of the top-ranked facilities in California in these specialties.

"This is a tribute to the skilled and caring physicians, nurses, staff and volunteers at John Muir Health who have earned this recognition for the third year in a row," says Jane Willemsen, president and chief administrative officer of John Muir Medical Center - Walnut Creek Campus. "We are proud of this achievement and thank the entire John Muir Health family for their commitment to outstanding patient care. This distinction is a testament to their talent and dedication to our patients and this community."

With one of the Bay Area's largest and most comprehensive orthopedic programs, John Muir Health is recognized for providing the latest technology and innovative treatment options. Highlights include:

• Minimally invasive techniques for total hip and knee replacement to advanced traumatic reconstruction.
• Board-certified, specialty-trained orthopedic surgeons on staff providing innovative and compassionate care in such areas as total joint, spine, hand, trauma and sports medicine.

John Muir Health is also a regional leader in diagnosing and treating gastrointestinal disorders. Services include:

• Technologically-advanced treatments such as minimally invasive colorectal surgery, liver resections, small and large bowel procedures, stomach, esophageal, pancreatic, duodenal and other digestive system procedures.
• Highly-trained specialists such as gastroenterologists, surgeons and other healthcare professionals committed to delivering innovative and compassionate care.

Out of the 4,861 hospitals analyzed for this year's "Best Hospitals" rankings, John Muir Medical Center - Walnut Creek Campus scored high enough to receive the nationwide "Best Hospitals" distinction in specialty rankings. According to U.S.News & World Report, "the rankings were developed and the specialties chosen explicitly to help consumers determine which hospitals provide the best care for the most serious and complicated medical conditions and procedures - not for those that are relatively commonplace."

Results of the U.S.News & World Report 20th annual survey can be viewed on the web at USNews.com beginning July 16.

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John Muir Health Hospitals Receive American Heart Association/American Stroke Association's Get With The Guidelines Gold Performance Achievement Award

2009 -- John Muir Medical Centers in Concord and Walnut Creek have been recognized for their achievement in implementing the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association Get With The Guidelines^SM program with triple Gold Performance Achievement awards for coronary artery disease, stroke and heart failure. This level of achievement demonstrates John Muir Health's commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of care for heart disease and stroke patients.

Get With the Guidelines helps ensure that patients treated and discharged receive quality care in accordance with guidelines that will reduce the risk of secondary events. It takes advantage of the "teachable moment," the time soon after a heart attack or stroke, when patients are most likely to listen to their healthcare professionals' treatment recommendations. Studies demonstrate that patients who are taught how to manage their risk factors while still in the hospital reduce their risk of a second heart attack or stroke.

This accomplishment signifies that John Muir Medical Centers have reached an aggressive goal of treating coronary artery disease, stroke and heart failure patients with 85 percent or better compliance to core standard levels of care outlined by the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology secondary prevention guidelines and recommendations.

According to GWTG treatment guidelines, patients are started on aggressive risk reduction therapies such as cholesterol-lowering drugs, beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors, aspirin, diuretics and anticoagulants in the hospital, or in the case of stroke, they may receive tPA, antithrombotics and DVT prohphylaxis. They also receive alcohol/drug use and thyroid management counseling as well as referrals for cardiac rehabilitation before being discharged.

John Muir Medical Centers have consistently and successfully implemented these quality measures for 24 consecutive months since they began participating in the program.

"The full implementation of acute and secondary prevention guideline recommended therapy is a critical step in reducing death and disability of cardiovascular disease patients," said Gregg C. Fonarow, M.D., National Chairman of the GWTG Steering Committee and Director of Ahmanson-UCLA Cardiomyopathy Center. "The goal of the American Heart Association's Get With The Guidelines program is to help hospitals like John Muir Medical Centers implement appropriate evidence-based care and protocols that will reduce the number of deaths in these patients and in their communities. John Muir has achieved a high level of performance in terms of implementing these life-prolonging treatments."

According to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, each year approximately 300,000 people suffer a recurrent heart attack, 5.2 million people suffer from heart failure and 700,000 people suffer a stroke.

John Muir's staff develops and implements acute and secondary prevention guideline processes. The program includes quality improvement measures such as care maps, discharge protocols, standing orders and measurement tools. This quick and efficient use of guideline tools will enable John Muir Medical Centers to improve the quality of care they provide heart disease and stroke patients, save lives and ultimately, reduce healthcare costs by lowering recurrence of events.

The program mobilizes teams in acute care hospitals to implement American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology secondary prevention guidelines.

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