FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital recognized as one of North Carolina’s Best Hospitals

David J. Kilarksi

PINEHURST – FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital has once again been recognized as one of the state’s best hospitals and as a top hospital in patient satisfaction by Business North Carolina magazine. 

Moore Regional ranked No. 6 in the “best hospital” ranking and No. 2 in the “patient picks” list.

“We are very pleased to once again be recognized by Business North Carolina magazine as one of the best hospitals in North Carolina and as a top hospital for patient satisfaction,” says David J. Kilarski, chief executive officer for FirstHealth of the Carolinas.  “This achievement is an affirmation of the hard work of our physicians, nurses and ancillary health care professionals in providing the highest quality and safest care to our patients.  We are proud of our team’s accomplishment. Because of their dedication and pride in caring for our patients and their families, FirstHealth is the only hospital in our region to be recognized as a top performer.”   

John F. Krahnert, M.D.

More than 100 North Carolina hospitals were compared on varying quality measures to assemble the “best hospital” list. The 18 criteria included patient satisfaction; death rates for heart attack, heart failure and pneumonia; readmission rates and complications stemming from surgeries. New criteria added in 2015 included overall hospital readmission rates for hip and knee replacements, which Medicare reported for the first time last year.  The rankings are calculated by using data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid, Blue Cross and Blue Shield Inc. of North Carolina, The Leapfrog Group (a national nonprofit that advocates for hospital transparency) and U.S. News & World Report.

“I am especially proud of the other FirstHealth hospitals, because they share in this recognition,” says Kilarski.  “Both FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital- Hoke Campus and Richmond Memorial Hospital share this recognition, because they are divisions of the flagship hospital in Pinehurst, Moore Regional Hospital.”  

The “patient picks” list is a result of The Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems that surveys hospital patients between 49 hours and six weeks of discharge.  Top “patient picks” are based on the percentage of patients who would recommend the hospital to others.  FirstHealth ranked No. 2 in the state with a score of 84 percent. The average state-wide score is 71 percent. 

“FirstHealth is honored to be recognized among the best hospitals in the state,” says John Krahnert Jr., M.D., FirstHealth’s chief medical officer. “Our team continues to be recognized as a top performer and sustain this high-level performance year after year. This achievement is a testament to the commitment of the FirstHealth staff to offer a level of medical excellence that is recognized among the best in North Carolina.”

The Business North Carolina story also noted Moore Regional Hospital’s recognition by Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina as “cutting-edge hospital” for quality and expertise in cardiac care.

“As a cardiothoracic surgeon, I am keenly aware of the rigorous quality and safety measures that are involved with the delivery of high-quality cardiac medicine,” says Dr. Krahnert.  “Moore Regional’s program is committed to the continued delivery of compassionate patient care supported by the latest technology and clinical expertise.  Our physicians and surgeons don’t settle for anything less than excellence, and that commitment keeps FirstHealth as a leader in our region.”

Also noted in the Business North Carolina story was Moore Regional’s commendation as a U.S. News & World Report “top-performing hospital”  in the following adult specialties: diabetes and endocrinology, gastroenterology and GI surgery, geriatrics, neurology and neurosurgery, pulmonology and urology.