When you plan your trips, do you take hospitals into consideration? Probably not. Most people do not really plan on getting sick or injured while on vacation, but it is comforting to know that there is a hospital nearby with competent staff and adequate facilities to treat you just in case something does happen.
According to a study done by USA Today, however, some of the most popular travel destinations in the United States have “poorly performing” hospitals. And how do they define “poorly performing?” How about having some of the worst death rates in the United States? To quote the report:
“…from the Central Valley in California to the East Coast, from the Outer Banks of North Carolina to Myrtle Beach, S.C., to the Florida beaches. Hospitals with high death rates for heart attack, heart failure or pneumonia can be found in big cities, such as Las Vegas, Dallas and San Diego, and near treasured landmarks, such as Zion National Park.”
Some figures to support this statement:
“…University Medical Center of Southern Nevada, where the heart attack death rate of 21.1% tops the U.S. average of 16.6%. In the San Diego area, four hospitals from La Mesa to Oceanside have high death rates for heart failure or pneumonia.”
Now, there may be other factors as to why the death rates are high in these hospitals BUT the numbers still mean something, don’t they? Not to be an alarmist, but I suggest checking out Hospital Compare (a government site) if you are planning on traveling and you have a medical condition.