July 19, 2012

CENTRAL TEXAS, Texas – For the second year in a row, Scott & White Memorial Hospital – Temple has been named among the nation’s Best Regional Hospitals 2012-13, according to U.S. News & World Report, publisher of Best Hospitals (http://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals). U.S. News publishes the Best Hospitals rankings annually in July. Last year U.S. News began formally recognizing hospitals outside major metropolitan areas, including Scott & White Memorial Hospital -Temple, as Best Regional Hospitals. The latest rankings identify more than 200 such hospitals outside metropolitan areas of one million or more. Scott & White was recognized for the Prairies and Lakes region in Texas, which encompasses more than 44,000 square miles.*

Scott & White Memorial Hospital – Temple was cited for its outstanding performance in: Orthopedics, Gastroenterology, Nephrology, Psychiatry, Pulmonology, and Urology. “Being recognized again is something all of us take great pride in because it reflects the tremendous amount of work done by all of our staff at Scott & White Memorial Hospital – Temple,” said Scott & White Healthcare President and CEO, Robert W. Pryor, MD, MBA. “To be listed with some of the country’s premier medical institutions is very rewarding.

” When U.S. News released Best Hospitals 2011-12 in July 2011, Scott & White Memorial Hospital – Temple was rated “high performing” in at least one of the 16 specialties U.S. News evaluates.

Hospitals like Scott & White Memorial Hospital – Temple offer a high level of medical care to communities that otherwise might have limited options, says Avery Comarow, U.S. News Health Rankings editor. “All Best Regional Hospitals are what we call ‘high performers’ in at least one medical specialty,” says Comarow. “They are fully capable of providing first-rate care, even to most patients who have serious conditions or need complex procedures.

” U.S. News annually evaluates nearly 5,000 hospitals in 16 different medical specialties. Hard numbers stand behind its analysis in most specialties, death rates, patient safety, procedure volume, and other objective data. Physicians’ responses to a national survey, in which specialists are asked to name hospitals they consider best in their specialty for the toughest cases, also are factored in.

The complete rankings and methodology are available at http://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals.

*The following counties comprise the Prairies and Lakes Region in Texas: Anderson, Austin, Bastrop, Bell, Bosque, Brazos, Burleson, Caldwell, Collin, Colorado, Comanche, Cooke, Coryell, Dallas, Delta, Denton, DeWitt, Ellis, Erath, Falls, Fannin, Fayette, Freestone, Gonzales, Grayson, Guadalupe, Hamilton, Henderson, Hill, Hood, Hopkins, Hunt, Johnson, Kaufman, Lamar, Lavaca, Lee, Leon, Limestone, Madison, McLennan, Milam, Montague, Navarro, Parker, Rains, Red River, Robertson, Rockwall, Somervell, Tarrant, Van Zandt, Washington, Wise.

About Scott & White Healthcare (sw.org)

Scott & White Healthcare is a non-profit collaborative health care system established in 1897 in Temple, Texas. Among the leading health systems encompassing one of the nation’s largest multi-specialty group practices, Scott & White provides personalized, comprehensive health care enhanced by medical education and research. Scott & White Healthcare includes 12 hospital sites with two additional announced facilities, and 143 clinics at more than 65 clinic locations throughout Central Texas providing adult and pediatric care in 46 medical specialties. Integrated, high-quality care is delivered by a dedicated staff of more than 12,000 (including 1,000 physicians and scientists and more than 300 specialized health care providers). Get the latest news from Scott & White Healthcare by visiting our online newsroom, News blog or on Twitter (@swhealthcare).