Published: September 08, 2009 09:09 pm      

One of the best is a neighbor

Human nature often leads people to think the grass is always greener someplace else, causing them to take for granted good things that exist right in their own neighborhood.

Health care is one of the areas where this often happens. People equate big cities and big hospitals with better care.

According to a national survey, however, patients in Provena Health facilities — such as Provena United Samaritans Medical Center in Danville — already find themselves receiving care from one of the top 50 companies in the country.

A recent survey by Thompson Reuters, a company that provides information on health care, ranked Provena Health among the top 50 health systems based on patient responses and federal information. The survey looked at five factors — risk-adjusted mortality, complications, patient safety, length of stay and Joint Commission Core Measures performance, according to a press release.

Provena Health consists of six hospitals — including the one in Danville — 16 long-term care sites and senior residences, clinics, five home-health agencies and other activities in Illinois. It is sponsored by the Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart, the Servants of the Holy Heart of Mary and the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas.

The bottom line for local residents is that Provena USMC offers quality care. Patients don’t have to go to Indianapolis, Chicago or St. Louis to receive some of the best care in the country.

The credit for such a lofty ranking goes in large part to the dedicated people who work at the local hospital and its affiliated agencies. Without their commitment to providing the best possible care, the national ranking would be almost impossible to achieve.

We offer our congratulations to Provena Health on attaining such a significant rating. Sometimes the greenest grass does grow right in our own yard.