Danbury Hospital Ranked Among ‘America’s Best Hospitals’

DANBURY –– Danbury Hospital has made the list of top performers in the July 28 issue of US News & World Report, which published its 14th annual edition of “America’s Best Hospitals.”

US News ranked 203 top medical centers from a total of 6,003, in 17 specialties, placing Danbury Hospital in the top 50 for urology services, which includes the treatment of prostate cancer while preserving sexual function. Danbury Hospital is one of only three Connecticut hospitals named in the report.

According to US News, ranked hospitals excel partly because their physicians perform large numbers of advanced procedures, adhere more closely to advanced treatment guidelines, incorporate new findings in patient care, and conduct research that gives seriously ill patients more options. Among the criteria for selection is membership in the Council of Teaching Hospitals, affiliation with a medical school, and availability of at least nine of 17 specified items of medical technology. Hospitals received a score that equally weighs reputation, mortality (death rate), and a group of care-related factors such as nursing and discharges, among others.

Frank J. Kelly, president and CEO, Danbury Hospital and Danbury Health Systems, Inc, said, “We are proud to be named among our nation’s finest hospitals several times within the last four years –– for orthopedics, geriatrics, hormonal disorders [diabetes], and now urology –– in such a highly public report. While we offer high-quality health care in a variety of major disciplines, we hope this news will bring greater awareness of our successful efforts to offer university-level care in our convenient, community setting.”

William Hennessy, MD, a board-certified urologist and chairman of the Urological Cancer Review Committee at the hospital’s Praxair Cancer Center, said, “Our ranking in urology is a testimony to our ability to orchestrate complex care for urologic conditions, in particular prostate disease, and to the high quality professionals who review every case of prostate cancer diagnosed at Danbury Hospital. The Section of Urology collaborates with an exceptional team comprised of radiation oncology, medical oncology, radiology, pathology, and support services to facilitate the best care available for men in our community. This news should be encouraging to men in greater Danbury.

“We feel our services are on par with most university centers, yet we can offer physician and hospital expertise close to our patients’ homes, where they also can benefit from family support,” Dr Hennessy said.

The Section of Urology at Danbury Hospital offers experienced urologists to diagnose and treat a variety of problems related to the prostate and urinary tract. Urologists perform surgical procedures for prostate, urinary tract, and kidney cancers, including nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy, brachytherapy (seed implants), continent urinary diversions and radical/partial/laparoscopic hand-assisted nephrectomy. They also perform restorative/corrective surgery for male sexual dysfunction, and male and female urinary control problems, and coordinate lithotripsy services for the treatment of kidney stones.

At the Praxair Cancer Center at Danbury Hospital, this section facilitates complete care for cancers of the prostate and urinary tract via a multidisciplinary team known as the Urology Cancer Review Committee. This committee reviews each patient’s diagnosis to offer a consensus of medical and surgical opinions for treatment –– which may include surgery, radiation therapy, and/or prostate seed implantation. Urologists also can help patients by addressing and treating impotence and incontinence related to cancer treatment, with recovery rates comparable to national standards. Every September, the Urology Section co-sponsors a community prostate screening and educational program for National Prostate Cancer Awareness Week.

Danbury Hospital is a 371-bed community teaching hospital serving residents of Connecticut and nearby New York State. The hospital is a Level II trauma center and the Western Connecticut affiliate of the Yale Cancer Center. Its specialty services include: the Praxair Cancer Center, the Western Connecticut Cardiac Center, Duracell Center for Ambulatory Surgery, Egee Emergency Department, Family Birth Center and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Pediatric Pulmonary/Community Asthma Management Program, Sleep Disorders Center, Main Street Physical Rehabilitation Center, and advanced diagnostic/interventional Radiology Services. Other affiliates of Danbury Health Systems, the hospital’s parent company, include the Danbury Visiting Nurse Association, Inc, Danbury Health Care Affiliates, Inc, Regional Hospice of Western Connecticut, Inc, Business Systems Inc, and the Danbury Hospital Development Fund.

For a complete overview of the national hospital rankings, visit www.USNews.com. For more information about Danbury Hospital, visit www.danburyhospital.org.