New report identifies Ocala Health hospitals among the top hospitals nationally for excellence in orthopedic surgery

Ocala Regional Medical Center and West Marion Community Hospital are one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for orthopedic surgery according to a national study by Healthgrades, the leading online resource for information about physicians and hospitals.

The achievement is part of findings released today in the Healthgrades 2020 Report to the Nation. The new report demonstrates the importance of hospital quality to both hospital leaders and consumers. Additionally, from 2016 through 2018, patients treated at hospitals receiving the America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Orthopedic Surgery Award have, on average, a 39.7% lower risk of experiencing a complication while in the hospital than if they were treated in hospitals that did not receive the award. And patients treated at hospitals that did not receive the award were 1.66 times more likely to experience a complication in the hospital than if they were treated at hospitals that received the award*.

“As consumers navigate their health, it is important to consider a number of factors, including hospital quality, before deciding where to access care,” said Brad Bowman, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Healthgrades. “Healthgrades’ America’s 100 Best Hospitals for orthopedic surgery recognizes those hospitals that have proven their dedication to quality care and exceptional outcomes over time and we applaud their efforts and achievement.”

This commitment to quality care is showcased through the investment Ocala Health has put toward their orthopedic service line. Earlier this year, Ocala Health completed another phase of a $65 M expansion project at West Marion Community Hospital with the opening of 36 new beds dedicated to orthopedic services.

West Marion Community Hospital has established itself as one of the premier joint care centers in the state of Florida, with over 15,000 total joint surgeries since 2009.

“West Marion Community Hospital and Ocala Health are dedicated to our high quality, best in class orthopedic services and are excited to continue investing in facilities that match the premier level of orthopedic care given to our patients,” says Chad Christianson, CEO of Ocala Health.

Healthgrades recognizes a hospital’s quality achievements for cohort-specific performance, specialty area performance, and overall clinical quality. Individual procedure or condition cohorts are designated as 5-star (statistically significantly better than expected), 3-star (not statistically different from expected) and 1-star (statistically significantly worse than expected) categories. The complete Healthgrades 2020 Report to the Nation and detailed study methodology, can be found at

https://partners.healthgrades.com/healthgrades-quality-solutions/healthgrades-quality-awards/.

Ocala Health encompasses Ocala Regional Medical Center, a 256-bed facility located in the heart of Ocala, and West Marion Community Hospital, a 174-bed hospital located in west Marion County, Summerfield ER, a freestanding emergency department located in southern Marion County, and Maricamp ER, a freestanding emergency department located on Maricamp Road in Ocala. Ocala Regional Medical Center is a Level II Trauma Center and the regions only Comprehensive Stroke Center. The hospitals offer a host of other quality and award winning services including orthopedic care and joint replacement, robotic surgery, cardiac and vascular services including open heart surgery and interventional procedures, emergency, neurological and rehabilitation services, and bariatric surgery. Ocala Health has the only Commission on Cancer approved cancer center in Marion County. Ocala Health’s outpatient facilities include Family Care Specialists, a primary care network of six locations throughout Marion County; Advanced Imaging Centers; a freestanding Wound and Hyperbaric Center; a Senior Wellness Community Center; and three surgical and physician specialty practices.