memo |

There are not many hospitals so terrible that they are lethal. But you do not want a place that has little experience with your surgical or medical needs or is less alert than it should be for anything that could go wrong. Rates of post-surgical complications such as bleeding, infection, and sudden kidney failure vary surprisingly little. What does differ are deaths from such complications. Mortality rates at some hospitals in the study were almost twice as high as at others. And these hospitals had several things in common: signs that you might want to think twice about the hospital you have chosen are low hospital volume, low surgeon volume, no intensivists, not enough nurses, and too many readmissions. [reference unknown]

• intensivist
  An intensivist is a board-certified physician who provides special care for critically ill patients. Also known as a critical care physician, the intensivist has advanced training and experience in treating this complex type of patient.