Summit Oaks Hospital Chosen for Inclusion in U.S. News and World Report's Annual Review of “Best Hospitals”
June 29, 2009
Considerations for Psychiatric Hospitals Based Solely on Reputation
Where would you send your most difficult cases for mental health and substance abuse services? Posed to a random sample of 200 physicians across the United States, that question landed the 126-bed Summit Oaks Hospital in the listing of hospitals considered for U.S. News and World Report’s (U.S. News) annual “Best Hospitals” ranking.
Summit Oaks, a Psychiatric Solultions, Inc. facility, was among 170 psychiatric hospitals that made the final cut for consideration based solely on reputation. Physicians were asked to list five hospitals they considered to be among the best in their specialty for difficult cases, without taking into account cost or location. The final cut came from data gathered over a three-year period from 2006 through 2008.
“We are honored that Summit Oaks was chosen to participate in this review, and I think this recognition speaks to our commitment to be the provider of choice for mental health and substance abuse services,” said CEO Jim Gallagher. “We want to be known as a solid, mainstream psychiatric hospital, and the experience of our multi-disciplinary team of professionals ensures that that we achieve high satisfaction among patients, families and referring clinicians.”
This year marked the 19th review completed by U.S. News, where 5,453 hospitals were put through a rigorous statistical mill and ranked according to 16 specialties covering areas such as cancer, heart disease, respiratory disorders and psychiatry. Twelve of the 16 specialty rankings were driven largely by hard data based on the organization’s mortality index and surveys completed by the American Hospital Association. Because mortality data is not a relevant measure for ophthalmology, psychiatry, rehabilitation, and rheumatology, these hospitals were ranked by reputation alone for treating difficult cases in their respective specialties.
“We are known for taking hard to treat cases,” Gallagher noted, pointing out that the facility receives the largest percentage of its patients from private physicians or clinicians affiliated with other hospitals and healthcare institutions. “We have earned respect in our industry as a well-established treatment center with wide-ranging expertise for working with a variety of complex mental health disorders.”
Summit Oaks currently operates inpatient and intensive outpatient programs for adults, adolescents and children covering such diagnoses as anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, dual diagnosis (for chemical dependency and mental health issues), post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia and most other Axis II diagnoses as outlined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). The facility also operates an inpatient rehabilitation unit for substance abuse/chemical dependency issues.
For this latest analysis and ranking by U.S. News, the random sample of 200 physicians was drawn from the American Board of Medical Specialties. The 2008 “Best Hospitals” rankings were produced by RTI International, a leading research organization based in Research Triangle Park, N.C.
About Summit Oaks Hospital
One of the longest free-standing psychiatric hospitals in New Jersey, Summit Oaks Hospital is a private psychiatric and chemical dependency center that serves the Northeast region with a full continuum of inpatient and outpatient services for adults, adolescents and children. Owned by Nashville-based Psychiatric Solutions, Inc. (PSI), the facility is licensed by the state of New Jersey and is fully accredited by the Joint Commission (JCAHO).
About Psychiatric Solutions, Inc. (PSI)
Psychiatric Solutions, Inc. offers an extensive continuum of behavioral health programs to critically ill children, adolescents and adults and is the largest operator of owned or leased freestanding psychiatric inpatient facilities with over 10,000 beds in 31 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. PSI also manages freestanding psychiatric inpatient facilities for government agencies and psychiatric inpatient units within medical/surgical hospitals owned by others.