A recent study published in HealthDay quantified the number of lives improved quality care would save. According to the study, “if the lowest ranked hospitals had the same death rates as top-ranked hospitals, 2,200 fewer older Americans would die each year from heart attacks, congestive heart failure or pneumonia.”

This report truly brings to light the reasons why quality matters. As Dr. Ashish Jha, an assistant professor of health policy and management at Harvard School of Public Health, stated: “These findings are really a confirmation of the value of these quality measures for predicting outcomes.” While there are other research findings (Dr. Jha’s work among them) that would contradict the article’s assertion that “a hospital’s level of care is probably not tied to its treatment of any one condition but reflects an institution-wide commitment to quality care,” the content of the study nonetheless reinforces the notion that quality varies and consumers can and should make an educated choice when selecting a hospital. To find quality rankings for your local hospitals, visit national sites such as Leapfrog and Hospital Compare , or check with other local resources.