By KEVIN CHIRI

Editor and Publisher

LAPLACE – Which is actually more valuable, gold or platinum?

When you are talking about metals, it might actually be gold.

But when you are talking about being named one of the top Louisiana hospitals, the Platinum Level honor is as good as it gets.

And that’s the ranking given to River Parishes Hospital (RPH) here in St. John Parish, as they earned that honor in the 2007 Louisiana Hospital Quality Awards, handed out recently in Baton Rouge.

RPH is one of only 10 hospitals in the state to receive the prestigious honor, which is given when gauging short-term acute care, and critical access hospitals of all sizes.

“We are extremely proud to be a recipient of this distinguished award,” said Syl Pawol, Director of Quality Management/Infection Control. “I want to congratulate everyone at the hospital for making this happen.

We could not have achieved this level of care without the collaboration and efforts of everyone at the hospital.”

The honor is presented each year by the Louisiana Health Care Review Inc., the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization for Louisiana.

RPH was graded on its efforts and achievements in improving the quality of inpatient care. The hospital has been recognized for significant improvement in care over the proceeding year, specifically for persons requiring admission for Acute Myocardial Infarction (heart attack), Heart Failure, Community-Acquired Pneumonia and Surgical Care.

The Hospital Quality Award honors Louisiana hospitals that are performing quality initiatives aimed at improving patient care in the hospital setting. The clinical topics measured for the awards have been designated as national health care priorities by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Staff members at the hospital have been working with quality improvement specialists from the Louisiana Health Care Review, Inc. to use proven, evidence-based practices to improve care for patients.

“This honor comes from grading real date, which comes directly from the hospitals,” Marketing Director Carrie Fisk explained. “They grade outcomes from patients who come here, and quite simply it just proves you have very good, quality care.”

RPH had gotten the Silver Level in the past, but this was the first time they achieved the top Platinum Level of care.