Money Magazine lists Prairie Heart as one of Americas top hospitals

SPRINGFIELD - In the Fall 2003 edition of Money magazine, Prairie Heart Institute at St. Johns Hospital is listed as one of the best hospitals in the country and the only hospital in Illinois cited for recognition for heart attack and interventional cardiology procedures. Listed as top doctors from PHI, are Drs. James Dove, Frank Mikell, Greg Mishkel, and Charles Lucore.

We are pleased to once again be recognized nationally for our work in cardiovascular care, said Jim Zito, executive director of Prairie Heart Institute at St. John's Hospital. Receiving recognition from a national entity is often more gratifying than simply patting yourself on the back.

We respect the fact that our patients in central and southern Illinois continue to be intelligent, informed and selective about their care. And it is our hope that third party performance evaluations, such as this Money magazine article, provide additional, helpful information to consumers so they can make the right choices in healthcare, added Zito.

For the first time, Money magazine developed the best health care list for its readers. In the Editor's Note portion of the magazine, Managing Editor Robert Safian writes, Health is something we tend to take for granted until something happens, and then nothing is more important.

Money magazine cites the best hospitals in each region of the country. It states the hospitals are "top rated facilities." The list was compiled with the help of HealthGrades, a firm that uses Medicare mortality and complication data to rate hospitals. Money magazine reports that HealthGrades is the best, most comprehensive set of data currently available.

Our primary focus has been and always will be to provide the best possible treatment and care for our patients. We continue to be a frontrunner in cardiovascular research and will strive to maintain our top, five-star rating, said Zito.