Living in the Northland, it's easy to take the access we have to good health care for granted.  But, we shouldn't, with two major health care facilities located here in the Twin Ports.

That's why it's important to note that one of those health care facilities recently received some recognition at the national level.

St. Luke's in Duluth was recently ranked as a "high performing hospital for hip fracture, knee replacement, and stroke procedures" in a survey done by U.S. News and World Report; the publication issued their annual rankings - that included St. Luke's - as part of their updated list for 2022-2023.

The national recognition demonstrates the levels of excellence that St. Luke's strives towards.  St. Luke's Co-President/CEO and CMO Dr. Nick Van Deelen explains:

"We earn awards like these because of the expertise of our incredible staff and the personalized care they provide.  This recognition is more than just an award to us.  It is a reflection of the pride we take in being able to care for our patients and demonstrates our commitment to providing them the highest quality of care."

According to the data used by the publication for their rankings, St. Luke's received the recognition due to their general performance in regard to hip fracture, knee replacement, and stroke procedures.  U.S. New and World Report took a variety of different factors into account - including "patient outcomes, patient experience, and how successfully a health system helps get patients get back home".

For their part, the publication takes their role in ranking health care facilities seriously.  U. S. News and World Report is recognized as "the global authority in hospital rankings and consumer advice".  In order to come up with their survey, the organization evaluated "more than 4,500 hospitals across 15 specialities and 20 procedures".

While St. Luke's is based in Duluth, its reach is large across the Northland.  Their collateral shares that they serve "approximately 500,000 residents of northeastern Minnesota, northwestern Wisconsin, and the western Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  Along with the main hospital in Duluth, Lake View Hospital in Two Harbors, and two ambulatory surgery centers, they offer more than 40 primary care and specialty clinics throughout the region.

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