Metro Atlanta surgery centers earn top marks from U.S. News
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A new U.S. News & World Report ranking recognizes Metro Atlanta's health care industry as being home to some of the nation's best ambulatory surgery centers.
Why it matters: Such centers provide same-day service as an alternative to overnight hospital stays for procedures like hip and knee replacements and cataract surgeries, according to a statement from Ben Harder, a U.S. News managing editor and health analysis chief.
Driving the news: Ten states, including Georgia, received the most Best Ambulatory Surgery Center ratings in one or more procedures.
How it works: U.S. News collaborated with CareJourney to evaluate nearly 5,000 surgery centers specializing in colonoscopy & endoscopy, ophthalmology, orthopedics & spine, or urology.
- Of those, U.S. News ranked about 15% as 'high performing.'
- Over 200 centers, meanwhile, received a 'below average' rating. Most were rated 'average.'
By the numbers: Georgia has 536 ambulatory surgery centers — also called outpatient surgery centers — according to Definitive Healthcare.
- U.S. News rated 278 Georgia centers and deemed 46 high performing.
- California, the nation's largest state by population, received the greatest number of highly-rated centers.
- Three states and three U.S. territories failed to receive high ratings for their centers.
Zoom in: More than a dozen centers in metro Atlanta received high ratings in each specialty.
Zoom out: Several centers outside of metro Atlanta, including three centers in Athens and one in Savannah, also received high ratings.
What they're saying: Kevin Sheldon, CareJourney's chief operating officer, said in a statement that he hopes the ratings will give people an objective insight on their care options to make informed decisions.
Worthy of your time: Check out the new ratings to gauge your center's performance.