Why Choose an Academic Medical Center
As the largest, most comprehensive health system in Georgia, Emory Healthcare offers patients all the attributes of a major University medical center, giving patients and their families seamless access to that higher level of specialized care—research, technology and sub-specialists—with the convenience and service orientation of a smaller, more patient-friendly hospital.
From expert surgery to innovative therapies, Emory provides the care patients expect from specialists affiliated with a nationally recognized medical and research center. We combine the latest techniques with minimally invasive procedures. This translates to quicker recovery times and an increase in overall quality, patient safety and satisfaction and care ratings.
Why is it better to come to an Emory facility for medical treatment?
In the 2010-11 U.S. News & World Report guide to “America’s Best Hospitals,” Emory University Hospital ranked 17th out of 4,861 hospitals in the country in number of sub-specialties recognized for excellence.
According to a survey of Atlanta doctors published by Atlanta Magazine in its July 2010 “Top Doctors” issue, 97 of all 251 doctors selected for recognition are Emory Healthcare doctors and Emory School of Medicine faculty. Physicians practicing at Emory not only provide excellent patient care but they also pioneer discoveries that advance our understanding of disease prevention.
Last year, Emory doctors were responsible for more than 3.6 million patient visits (up 9 percent over the previous year), which represents a substantial portion of all health care in Atlanta. Emory is where one in four physicians in Georgia is trained and where other hospitals send their patients when their cases are too challenging, conditions too rare or the risk of mortality too high.
In benchmarking ourselves to academic medical centers, we are comparing ourselves to the top ranked hospitals in the country, which treat the very sickest patients. Emory University Hospital (EUH) has the highest “case mix index” among all the University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC) hospitals, which means that EUH treats the very sickest patients in the country. Most data comparisons do not take this severity fully into account. With a higher volume of “sicker” patients than our competitors, this naturally affects relative performance improvement when measuring certain quality outcomes. So when your life is on the line, and you’re evaluating information about clinical quality, look twice at the clinical quality delivered at individual hospitals before you rely on “one-size-fits-all” health care comparisons. Avoid false promises and compare “apples to apples.” Consider, too, that academic medical centers like EHC serve patients who cannot be treated at other facilities and we offer more specialists, which translates into increased options for patients with complex health issues.
As a major academic medical center whose physicians provide an unmatched level of science and service, Emory University physicians and hospitals have instant access to your personalized electronic patient medical record. As long as you stay in the Emory system, no matter where in the city you’re seen, when you’re seen, by what Emory doctor or at what Emory hospital, whether you’re seen as an inpatient, in your doctor’s office, or in the ER, your record goes with you. That’s important, because if you’re sick, your blood work, medical history, list of medications, and record of allergies are readily available. No other health care system in Georgia offers this benefit.
