LAKEWOOD, CO (October 12, 2004) – SSM DePaul Health Center has received five-star ratings for clinical excellence in heart surgery, according to a new study released today by HealthGrades, the nation’s leading healthcare quality company.

            The St. Louis hospital earned 5-Star ratings for coronary artery bypass surgery, the same procedure former President Bill Clinton underwent in September.  These ratings contributed to SSM DePaul Health Center being ranked the number one provider of heart surgery services in Missouri, as well as ranking among the top five percent of hospitals nationally for those services according to the HealthGrades study.  SSM DePaul also received a 5-Star rating for treatment of congestive heart failure.

“SSM DePaul is committed to providing the highest quality services, so we are gratified to receive this recognition from HealthGrades,” said Melinda Clark, president / CEO of SSM DePaul Health Center. “Our cardiac surgeons provide the most advanced surgical techniques with outstanding outcomes for patients.” SSM DePaul is a member of SSM Health Care, the first health care winner of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.

As part of its seventh annual Hospital Quality in America Study, HealthGrades independently analyzed nearly 5,000 hospitals in all 50 states and the District of Columbia for its 2005 ratings, objectively assessing their clinical outcomes and quality.  The HealthGrades ratings measure whether patient outcomes for each of more than two dozen procedures and diagnoses are better than expected (5-Star), as expected (3-Star) or worse than expected (1-Star).

            “HealthGrades objectively assesses and rates hospital performance in order to help consumers make better and more informed healthcare choices,” explained Sarah Loughran, HealthGrades executive vice president.  “With consumers having a greater stake in their healthcare purchasing decisions, it’s important for them to know that there is a tremendous difference in clinical quality outcomes between hospitals.

            “In St. Louis, SSM DePaul Health Center stands out in terms of delivering quality care for its heart surgery patients,” Loughran added.  “Patients, families and employers here truly have access to healthcare that is among the best in the nation.”

            The 2005 HealthGrades ratings for all hospitals nationwide are available, free of charge, on the web at www.healthgrades.com.  More than one million unique users and 125 major employers visit the HealthGrades web site every month to access quality information about hospitals, nursing homes and physicians.  HealthGrades also provides consumers and payers with detailed assessments of hospitals’ patient safety outcomes, based on indicators developed by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

About HealthGrades

Health Grades, Inc. (OTCBB: HGRD) is the leading independent healthcare quality company, providing ratings, information, and advisory services to healthcare providers, employers, health plans, and insurance companies. HealthGrades works with healthcare providers to help assess, improve and promote their quality. HealthGrades provides consumers access to information about the clinical quality and patient safety outcomes of healthcare providers and practitioners through its Web site and provides liability insurers, employers, and payers with critical information about healthcare quality and safety.