Petaluma Valley Hospital, an 80-bed hospital operated by the St. Joseph Health System, has been named one of the nation's top performers by a nonprofit organization that certifies health care organizations.
The hospital is the only one in Sonoma County noted by The Joint Commission in its annual report "Improving America's Hospitals." In all, 405 hospitals nationwide were recognized for their care in 22 categories including heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia, children's asthma and surgical care.
Jane Read, vice president of operations at Petaluma Valley, praised hospital employees and the medical staff.
"This is a reflection of their care, compassion, skill and knowledge in how best to manage patients' treatment. Our standards of care are high, ranking with the best in the nation," she said.
Inclusion on the list is based on an aggregation of 2010 data reported to The Joint Commission, an Illinois-based nonprofit that accredits and certifies health care providers. The list of top hospitals and the areas for which each hospital was recognized are available online at www.jointcommission.org.
Petaluma Valley was recognized for its performance in heart attack, pneumonia and surgical care.
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