Article Date: 4/22/2010

Article Date: 3/31/2010

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DALLAS – Tenet Healthcare Corporation (NYSE: THC) today announced that it has signed a multi-year agreement with Coventry Health Care (NYSE: CVH) that includes all its hospitals, outpatient centers and ambulatory care centers in Florida and 60 physicians who are employed by Tenet in Florida.  Financial terms were not disclosed.

The agreement includes the following products offered by Coventry:

• Vista commercial products
  
• Coventry commercial products
  
• First Health Network PPO and workers’ compensation products
  
• Vista and Summit Medicare products
  
• Vista Medicaid and Healthy Kids products.
  

Tenet Healthcare Corporation is a health care services company whose subsidiaries and affiliates own and operate acute care hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers and diagnostic imaging centers.  Tenet's hospitals and related health care facilities are committed to providing high quality care to patients in the communities they serve.  For more information, please visit www.tenethealth.com.

Some of the statements in this release may constitute forward-looking statements.  Such statements are based on our current expectations and could be affected by numerous factors and are subject to various risks and uncertainties discussed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2010, our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and periodic reports on Form 8-K.  Do not rely on any forward-looking statement, as we cannot predict or control many of the factors that ultimately may affect our ability to achieve the results estimated.  We make no promise to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of changes in underlying factors, new information, future events or otherwise.

 

Article Date: 3/22/2010

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MIAMI, FL -- North Shore Medical Center, in partnership with the Archdiocese of Miami and Catholic Charities, has collected more than $10,290 in monetary donations from employees and physicians towards relief efforts for Haitian earthquake victims. 

“The need is immense, and North Shore Medical Center has done a great deal to assist with disaster relief operations in Haiti by collecting monetary donations. The financial aid will help us provide disaster services where it is needed most”, says Dr. Richard Turcotte, Catholic Charities.

Employees from Tenet sister hospitals Palmetto General Hospital and Hialeah Hospital also participated in the fundraising efforts.

“We extend our heartfelt prayers and hope for recovery to the people of Haiti”, says Manny Linares, CEO of North Shore Medical Center.  “The efforts of our employees and physicians contributing monetary donations will help ease some of the pain and suffering the people of Haiti have endured as a result of the devastating earthquake.”

About North Shore Medical Center

Part of Tenet Healthcare, North Shore is a 357-bed general acute care community hospital located at 1100 NW 95 St. in Miami.  The hospital has been serving the medical and health care needs of its community for more than 53 years.  North Shore offers a broad range of services, including 24-hour emergency care with Fast Track service, maternity, Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and psychiatric services. 

The hospital also offers specialized centers, including the C. Gordon Griffith Comprehensive Cancer Center with IMRT and X-Knife Radiosurgery, Intensive Care Unit, Wound Healing Center, Sleep Disorders Center, and Pain Care Center. The hospital was honored with the prestigious Tenet Circle of Excellence award for outstanding performance in 2005, 2006,  2007, and 2008. 

North Shore received the 2006 CIGNA Centers of Excellence designation for caesarean section, stroke and syncope, the 2006 American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines – Heart Failure IPAA award, 2007 American Heart Association’s Get with The Guidelines - Bronze IPAA award for CAD and Heart Failure; 2008 American Heart Association’s Get with the Guidelines – Silver Performance Achievement Award for CAD and Heart Failure, and the 2008 Gold Performance Achievement Award for Heart Failure;  Accredited by the American College of Surgeons Commission On Cancer Commendation, 2005-2008; and FMQAI’s Performance Achievement Award for Hospital Quality improvement.

 

Article Date: 1/18/2010

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Hospitals Team Up To Send Much-Needed Aide to Haiti

North Shore Medical Center, in partnership with the Archdiocese of Miami and Notre Dame de Haiti Church, is collecting checks from employees and community members who would like to donate to Haitian earthquake victims. 

Checks made out to Catholic Charities Earthquake Relief may be brought to the hospital's Main Lobby Registration Desk from 9 am - 5 pm through Feb. 1.  This date may be extended.  Checks to the American Red Cross Haitian Relief Fund also are being accepted. 

North Shore Medical Center is at 1100 NW 95th St., Miami, FL, 305-835-6000. 

The partnership includes sister Tenet hospitals Palmetto General Hospital and Hialeah Hospital, which also are accepting checks for Haitian relief from 9 am to 5 pm.  Here is donation information for these hospitals:

Palmetto General Hospital

• Administration
• 2001 W. 68th St.
• Hialeah, FL
• 305-823-5000

Hialeah Hospital

• Administration
• 651 E 25th St.
• Hialeah, FL
• 305-693-6100

 

 

 

 

Article Date: 11/5/2009

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Miami, FL --  North Shore Medical Center in Miami announced it has received six CIGNA quality designations for 2009. These designations mean that the hospital has met rigorous quality criteria based on nationally-recognized medical standards and expert advice.

North Shore Medical Center received the following designations: Caesarean Section, Heart Attack, Heart Failure, Stroke, Adult Pneumonia and Vaginal Delivery.

"We are pleased that our hospital has been recognized by CIGNA for the high quality care that we provide," said Manny Linares, chief executive officer of North Shore Medical Center. "Our physicians and staff work very hard to provide quality patient care, and these designations are evidence of the high standard of care we deliver every day."

The CIGNA designations are based on the hospital’s effectiveness in treating the selected condition or performing the procedure. The designation measures and weighs complications, mortality and The Leapfrog Group Patient Safety Index.

About North Shore Medical Center

North Shore Medical Center, part of Tenet South Florida, is a 357-bed general acute care community hospital located at 1100 NW 95 Street in Miami. The hospital has been serving the medical and health care needs of its community for more than 53 years.

North Shore Medical Center offers a broad range of services, including 24-hour emergency care with Fast Track service, maternity, Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and psychiatric services. The hospital also offers specialized centers, including the C. Gordon Griffith Comprehensive Cancer Center with IMRT and X-Knife Radiosurgery, Intensive Care Unit, Wound Treatment Center, Sleep Disorders Center, and Pain Care Center. The hospital is fully accredited by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the nation’s oldest and largest hospital accreditation agency.

Article Date: 5/14/2009

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Article Date: 7/21/2009

Article Date: 5/15/2009

Article Date: 4/27/2009

Article Date: 1/6/2009

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Miami, FL -- Bridgette Johnson, Director of Nursing, is the 2008 recipient of North Shore Medical Center's annual President’s Award, given for outstanding work and accomplishments.

Manny Linares, Chief Executive Officer at North Shore, a 357-bed general acute-care community hospital, announced the award, noting that  Johnson is an achiever in all of Tenet’s Five-Pillars – Quality, Cost, Growth, People and Service for 2008.

In her extraordinary leadership role as Director of Nursing, Bridgette is responsible for administration, supervision, and implementing standards of practice of all skilled nursing services in the facility.

“No one is more deserving of this award than Bridgette,” says Linares.  “She accepts challenges and sees them as an opportunity for personal and professional growth.”

Johnson joined North Shore after holding nursing positions with Mercy Hospital in Miami and Barnes Hospital in St. Louis. She also has served as a nursing instructor for the Practical Nursing Program for Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Florida International University College of Nursing and Florida Atlantic University Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing.

Johnson received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Northwestern State University School of Nursing in Shreveport, LA., and earned her Master’s in Nursing from FIU. She currently is working on her Ph.D. at FAU.

Johnson is a certified diabetes educator and advanced registered nurse practitioner with a focus on adult nursing. She is a recipient of several awards, including the 2007 Outstanding Nursing Alumni Award from FIU, 2005 Sister Louis Edwin Award in recognition of contributions to the practice of nursing from Mercy Hospital, and the 2004 National Nursing Staff Development Organization’s First Place Poster Award for creating the best recruitment poster.


North Shore Medical Center, part of Tenet South Florida, is a 357-bed general acute care community hospital located at 1100 NW 95 St, in Miami.

The hospital has been serving the medical and health care needs of its community for more than 53 years. North Shore Medical Center offers a broad range of services, including 24-hour emergency care with Fast Track service, maternity, Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and psychiatric services. The hospital also offers specialized centers, including the C. Gordon Griffith Comprehensive Cancer Center with IMRT and X-Knife Radiosurgery, Intensive Care Unit, Wound Treatment Center, Sleep Disorders Center, and Pain Care Center.

The hospital is fully accredited by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the nation’s oldest and largest hospital accreditation agency.

Article Date: 12/8/2008

Text Area 1: Miami, FL - - North Shore Medical Center, a 357-bed acute care hospital in Miami, announced that its new Primary Stroke Center is open.

A primary stroke care center combines the resources of a number of specialties to quickly evaluate and treat patients with complex medical needs.

The hospital stroke team includes Emergency Department physicians, neurologists, neurosurgeons, interventional radiologists and radiologists who specialize in the care of strokes.

The team is available round-the-clock to respond when a patient with stroke symptoms comes to the hospital. The Brain Attack Coalition, a group of 14 national organizations, developed joint recommendations for hospitals to create Stroke Care Centers as a way to improve the quality of care for stroke patients.

Manny Linares, CEO of North Shore Medical Center said, “The Stroke Center will help us diagnose and treat strokes more quickly.  We now have the ability to use evidence-based medicine to establish written protocols for stroke care that are designed to improve care and quickly get patients the care they need. These protocols have proven to reduce stroke-related complications, which lead to improved quality of life for our patients.”

A stroke is an emergency requiring immediate medical attention. Strokes occur when blood flow to the brain is interrupted, causing brain cells to begin dying from lack of oxygenated blood.  About 780,000 people in the U.S. have a new or recurrent stroke each year.

Every 40 seconds someone will have a stroke. Every three to four minutes, someone dies from a stroke. Common symptoms of stroke include: numbness or weakness in the body, trouble speaking and understanding, dizziness or loss of balance or coordination, trouble seeing in one of both eyes and severe headache with no known reason.

High blood pressure is the number-one risk factor for stroke.  Smokers double their risk of getting the disease. Women who take estrogen plus progestin raise their risk of ischemic stoke by 44 percent.

ABOUT NORTH SHORE MEDICAL CENTER
North Shore Medical Center, part of Tenet Healthcare, is a 357-bed general acute care community hospital at 1100 NW 95 St. in Miami.

The hospital has been serving the medical and health care needs of our community for more than 53 years. North Shore Medical Center offers a broad range of services, including 24-hour emergency care with Fast Track service, maternity, Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and psychiatric services.

The hospital also offers specialized centers, including the C. Gordon Griffith Comprehensive Cancer Center with IMRT and X-Knife Radiosurgery, Intensive Care Unit, Wound Healing Center, Sleep Disorders Center, and Pain Care Center.

The hospital was honored with the prestigious Tenet Circle of Excellence award for outstanding performance in 2005, 2006, and 2007. North Shore received the 2006 CIGNA Centers of Excellence designation for caesarean section, stroke and syncope, the 2006 American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines – Heart Failure IPAA award, 2007 American Heart Association’s Get with The Guidelines - Bronze IPAA award for CAD and Heart Failure, and the American College of Surgeons Commission On Cancer Commendation, 2005-2008.

In 2007/2008, North Shore Medical Center also received a five-star rating of clinical excellence for maternity care from HealthGrades®. The hospital is fully accredited by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the nation’s oldest and largest hospital accreditation agency.

Article Date: 12/2/2008

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Bridge Program enables North Shore to enhance patient safety

MIAMI -- North Shore Medical Center, a 357-bed acute care hospital, is implementing new technology, the Bridge Program, designed to improve medication safety, in spring 2009.

The clinician scans their own identification badge, scans the patients’ identification band and then scans the appropriate medication to access patient records to ensure that all information matches.

The software system will verify the "five rights"--confirming that the patient, drug, dose, time, and route administered all match.

The technology performs all checks for potential error before the medication reaches the patient.

Other highlights of the Bridge program include: accessing patient files for allergy cross-checks and verification, height, weight and age;  checks for high-risk medications; eporting capabilities that track near misses; real time online order confirmation; online drug reference access, and the ability to communicate with the hospital pharmacy.

"Our patients’ safety and care is our first priority at North Shore Medical Center," said CEO Manny Linares. "This new advanced technology, the Bridge program, will be an excellent addition to our safety measures in regards to patient medications."

North Shore is one of the few hospitals in South Florida to implement this advanced technology for medication safety.

 

 

 

 

 

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MIAMI -- North Shore Medical Center recently received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines –Coronary Artery Disease (GWTG–CAD) Gold Performance Achievement Award.

The award recognizes North Shore Medical Center’s commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of cardiac care that effectively improves treatment of patients hospitalized with coronary artery disease.

 “The American Heart Association applauds North Shore Medical Center for its success in implementing the appropriate evidence-based care and protocols to reduce the number of recurrent events and deaths in cardiovascular disease patients,” said Gregg C Fonarow, M.D., National Chairman of the Get With The Guidelines Steering Committee and Director of Ahmanson-UCLA Cardiomyopathy Center.

“North Shore Medical Center has achieved a high level of performance in terms of implementing these life-prolonging treatments.”

ABOUT NORTH SHORE MEDICAL CENTER

North Shore Medical Center, part of Tenet Healthcare, is a 357-bed general acute care community hospital located at 1100 NW 95 Street in Miami. The hospital has been serving the medical and health care needs of its community for more than 53 years.

North Shore Medical Center offers a broad range of services, including 24-hour emergency care with Fast Track service, maternity, Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and psychiatric services.

The hospital also offers specialized centers, including the C. Gordon Griffith Comprehensive Cancer Center with IMRT and X-Knife Radiosurgery, Intensive Care Unit, Wound Healing Center, Sleep Disorders Center, and Pain Care Center. The hospital was honored with the prestigious Tenet Circle of Excellence award for outstanding performance in 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008.

North Shore received the 2006 CIGNA Centers of Excellence designation for caesarean section, stroke and syncope, the 2006 American Heart Association's Get With The Guidelines-- Heart Failure IPAA award, 2007 American Heart Association's Get with The Guidelines - Bronze IPAA award for CAD and Heart Failure; 2008 American Heart Association's Get with the Guidelines Ð Silver Performance Achievement Award for CAD and Heart Failure, and the 2008 Gold Performance Achievement Award for Heart Failure; Accredited by the American College of Surgeons Commission On Cancer Commendation, 2005-2008; and FMQAI's Performance Achievement Award for Hospital Quality improvement.

In 2008/2009, North Shore Medical Center also received a five-star rating of clinical excellence for maternity care from HealthGrades. The hospital is fully accredited by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the nation's oldest and largest hospital accreditation agency.

Article Date: 10/22/2008

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MIAMI, FL -- On Saturday, Oct. 11,  North Shore Medical Center and the three other Miami-Dade Tenet hospitals, through Tenet Healthcare Foundation, were Presenting Sponsors of the American Heart Association's 2008 Start! Heart Walk.

Along with North Shore, participating hospitals were Coral Gables Hospital, Hialeah Hospital and Palmetto General Hospital.  As the Signature Sponsor, the Tenet Healthcare Foundation donated $75,000  to the American Heart Association.  Each hospital also raised additional funds.

Many hospital employees joined Team Tenet as walkers to fight heart disease. At the event, the Mayors of Hialeah and Hialeah Gardens announced their plans to make their cities 2009 Heart Ready Cities.

Text Area 1: MIAMI -- The Commission on Cancer (CoC) of the American College of Surgeons (ACoS) has granted Three-Year Approval with Commendation to the Cancer Program at the C. Gordon Griffith Cancer Center at North Shore Medical Center.

A facility receives a Three-Year Approval with Commendation following the on-site evaluation by a physician surveyor during which the facility demonstrates a Commendation level of compliance with one or more standards that represent the full scope of the cancer program (cancer committee leadership, cancer data management, clinical services, research, community outreach, and quality improvement). In addition a facility receives a compliance rating for all other standards.


Established in 1922 by the American College of Surgeons, the CoC is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to improving survival rates and quality of life for cancer patients through standard-setting, prevention, research, education, and the monitoring of comprehensive, quality care. Its membership includes Fellows of the American College of Surgeons and 42 national organizations that reflect the full spectrum of cancer care.


The core functions of the CoC include setting standards for quality, multidisciplinary cancer patient care; surveying facilities to evaluate compliance with the 36 CoC standards; collecting standardized and quality data from approved facilities; and using the data to develop effective educational interventions to improve cancer care outcomes at the national, state, and local level.


The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates that more that 1.4 million cases of cancer will be diagnosed in 2007. There are currently more than ,400 CoC-approved cancer programs in the US and Puerto Rico, representing close to 25 percent of all hospitals.

This 25 percent of hospitals diagnose and/or treat 80 percent of newly diagnosed cancer patients each year. In addition, a national network of more than 1,600 volunteer Cancer Liaison Physicians provides leadership and support for the CoC Approvals Program and other CoC activities at these local facilities.


The Approvals Program, a component of the CoC, sets quality-of-care standards for cancer programs and reviews the programs to ensure they conform to those standards.

Approval by the CoC is given only to those facilities that have voluntarily committed to providing the highest level of quality cancer care and that undergo a rigorous evaluation process and review of their performance. To maintain approval, facilities with CoC approved cancer programs must undergo an on-site review every three years.


Receiving care at a CoC-approved cancer program ensures that a patient will have access to:
. A comprehensive care, including a range of state-of-the art services and equipment
. A multispecialty, team approach to coordinate the best treatment options
. Information about ongoing clinical trials and new treatment options
, Access to cancer-related information, education, and support
. A cancer registry that collects data on type and stage of cancers and treatment results and offers lifelong patient follow-up
. Ongoing monitoring and improvement of care
. And, most importantly, Quality care close to home.

Cancer patient data are reported by each CoC-approved cancer program to the Coc’s National Cancer Data Base (NCDB), a joining CoC/American Cancer Society program. The NCDB currently contains patient demographics, tumor characteristics, and treatment and out-comes information for more than 18 million cancer patients diagnosed and treated at hospital cancer programs in the US between 1985 and 2004. These data account for approximately two-thirds of newly diagnosed cancer cases in the US each year.


NCDB data is regularly used to monitor and improve the quality of patient care delivered in CoC-approved cancer programs. The CoC requires programs to implement quality improvement initiatives that promote the delivery of quality, multidisciplinary cancer care and lead to ongoing educational interventions with local providers in the CoC-approved cancer programs.


Through an exclusive partnership with the American Cancer Society, the CoC provides the public with information on the resources, services, and cancer treatment experience for each CoC-approved cancer program. This information is shared with the public on the American Cancer Society’s Web site at HYPERLINK "http://www.cancer.org" www.cancer.org and through the American Cancer society’s National Cancer Information Center at 1-800-ACS-2345.


For more information about the Commission on Cancer, visit web site at www.facs.org/cancer/index.html.




ABOUT NORTH SHORE MEDICAL CENTER

North Shore Medical Center, part of Tenet Healthcare, is a 357-bed general acute care community hospital located at 1100 NW 95 Street in Miami. The hospital has been serving the medical and health care needs of its community for more than 53 years. North Shore Medical Center offers a broad range of services, including 24-hour emergency care with Fast Track service, maternity, Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and psychiatric services. The hospital also offers specialized centers, including the C. Gordon Griffith Comprehensive Cancer Center with IMRT and X-Knife Radiosurgery, Intensive Care Unit, Wound Healing Center, Sleep Disorders Center, and Pain Care Center.

The hospital was honored with the prestigious Tenet Circle of Excellence award for outstanding performance in 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008. North Shore received the 2006 CIGNA Centers of Excellence designation for caesarean section, stroke and syncope, the 2006 American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines – Heart Failure IPAA award, 2007 American Heart Association’s Get with The Guidelines - Bronze IPAA award for CAD and Heart Failure; 2008 American Heart Association’s Get with the Guidelines – Silver Performance Achievement Award for CAD and Heart Failure, and the 2008 Gold Performance Achievement Award for Heart Failure; Accredited by the American College of Surgeons Commission On Cancer Commendation, 2005-2008; and FMQAI’s Performance Achievement Award for Hospital Quality improvement.

In 2008/2009, North Shore Medical Center also received a five-star rating of clinical excellence for maternity care from HealthGrades®. The hospital is fully accredited by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the nation’s oldest and largest hospital accreditation agency.

Text Area 1: Anyone wishing to donate non-perishable food items, clothing, blankets, soap, toothpaste and toothbrushes can call Barbara Plizga, North Shore Medical Center 305-694-3714.  Deadline is Sept. 19.

North Shore Medical Center, along with three other Miami-Dade Tenet hospitals, has launched a massive food and clothing drive for the people of Haiti.

The island nation was devastated by Hurricane Ike, which caused massive flooding and loss of lives.

North Shore is located in the center of the area's Haitian community and will serve as the main collection site.

The hospitals are working in conjunction with the Archdiocese of Miami to collect non-perishable items, clothing and monetary donations for relief efforts.

Article Date: 7/21/2008

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MIAMI -- The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association are recognizing North Shore Medical Center for its performance in treating cardiac and stroke patients using the association's Get With The Guidelines^SM program.

North Shore Medical Center joins 518 other hospitals being featured in an advertisement in the July 21st "America's Best Hospitals" issue of US News & World Report.

GWTG is a hospital based quality-improvement program designed to ensure that hospitals consistently care for cardiac and stroke patients following the most up-to-date guidelines and recommendations. The program provides three modules that address coronary artery disease, heart failure and stroke. Currently more than 1,450 hospitals use one or more GWTG modules.

Upon meeting each module's criteria, hospitals are recognized if at least 85 percent of their cardiac or stroke patients are treated and discharged according to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association's recommendations.

The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association's advertisement recognizes North Shore Medical Center's commitment and success in performance achievement.

"The American Heart Association is pleased to recognize its top Get With The Guidelines participants," said Gregg C Fonarow, M.D., national chairman, Get With The Guidelines steering committee and director, Ahmanson-UCLA Cardiomyopathy Center.

"The program makes it easier for hospitals like North Shore Medical Center to provide appropriate evidence-based care and ultimately improve the quality of life and help reduce the number of deaths in these heart and stroke patients."

 
"We are proud that the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association have chosen the "America's Best Hospitals" issue of US News & World Report to recognize North Shore Medical Center for our achievements in their Get With The Guidelines program," said Manny Linares, CEO.

"Get With The Guidelines gives our professionals the tools and reports they need to effectively treat our coronary heart disease, heart failure and stroke patients."

ABOUT NORTH SHORE MEDICAL CENTER

North Shore Medical Center, part of Tenet Healthcare, is a 357-bed general acute care community hospital located at 1100 NW 95 Street in Miami. The hospital has been serving the medical and health care needs of its community for more than 53 years.

North Shore Medical Center offers a broad range of services, including 24-hour emergency care with Fast Track service, maternity, Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and psychiatric services.

The hospital also offers specialized centers, including the C. Gordon Griffith Comprehensive Cancer Center with IMRT and X-Knife Radiosurgery, Intensive Care Unit, Wound Healing Center, Sleep Disorders Center, and Pain Care Center. The hospital was honored with the prestigious Tenet Circle of Excellence award for outstanding performance in 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008.

North Shore received the 2006 CIGNA Centers of Excellence designation for caesarean section, stroke and syncope, the 2006 American Heart Association's Get With The Guidelines-- Heart Failure IPAA award, 2007 American Heart Association's Get with The Guidelines - Bronze IPAA award for CAD and Heart Failure; 2008 American Heart Association's Get with the Guidelines Ð Silver Performance Achievement Award for CAD and Heart Failure, and the 2008 Gold Performance Achievement Award for Heart Failure; Accredited by the American College of Surgeons Commission On Cancer Commendation, 2005-2008; and FMQAI's Performance Achievement Award for Hospital Quality improvement. I

n 2008/2009, North Shore Medical Center also received a five-star rating of clinical excellence for maternity care from HealthGrades. The hospital is fully accredited by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the nation's oldest and largest hospital accreditation agency.

About GWTG:
Get With The Guidelines^SM (GWTG) is the American Heart Association/ American Stroke Association's hospital-based quality improvement program that empowers healthcare teams to save lives and reduce healthcare costs by helping hospitals follow evidence-based guidelines and recommendations.

Experience has shown that 80,000 lives could be saved annually if the coronary artery disease (GWTG-CAD) module alone was implemented nationwide. For more information, visit http://www.americanheart.org americanheart.org/getwiththeguidelines.

Article Date: 7/16/2008

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New Digital Technology Supports Less Invasive Treatments for Patients

MIAMI, FL  - Today, doctors at North Shore Medical Center are using a new $1.4 million dollar digital imaging system to see extremely detailed, real-time images during procedures that require exacting precision.

This all-digital vascular and interventional imaging system will help physicians at North Shore Medical Center treat a variety of medical disorders including peripheral vascular, cardiovascular and neurological diseases, cancer, and other conditions, in lieu of major surgery.

According to Manny Linares, Chief Executive Officer at North Shore Medical Center, "Our doctors now have the ability to see the anatomy more clearly while guiding catheters, stents and other medical devices during minimally invasive procedures is critical. Because the images produced by the new all-digital vascular and interventional imaging system are more detailed than those of conventional systems, our staff has a higher level of confidence during procedures such as balloon angioplasty, oncology and vascular interventions, and uterine fibroid embolization."

The all-digital vascular and interventional imaging system opens new opportunity for a wide range of minimally invasive procedures by producing clearer fluoroscopic images with a larger field of view. When compared to traditional surgery, image guided minimally invasive techniques provide many benefits including: reduced risk, less pain, shorter patient recovery times and lower procedure expense.  

Specifically, the new all-digital vascular and interventional imaging system can provide physicians with exceptional image clarity with 10 times the dynamic range and a 37 percent larger field of view. Because physicians can image more anatomy in a single series with the new system, a complete image study can be done with fewer X-ray images, less X-ray dose and fewer injections of contrast dye when compared to conventional systems.

"We are very excited about adding the new all-digital vascular and interventional imaging system to our technology offering at North Shore Medical Center," said Manny Linares, CEO.  "By putting this state-of-the-art system in the hands of our medical experts, we can make  significant improvements in the patient care we give at North Shore."

ABOUT NORTH SHORE MEDICAL CENTER North Shore Medical Center, part of Tenet Healthcare, is a 357-bed general acute care community hospital located at 1100 NW 95 Street in Miami.  The hospital has been serving the medical and health care needs of its community for more than 53 years. 

North Shore Medical Center offers a broad range of services, including 24-hour emergency care with Fast Track service, maternity, Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and psychiatric services. 

The hospital also offers specialized centers, including the C. Gordon Griffith Comprehensive Cancer Center with IMRT and X-Knife Radiosurgery, Intensive Care Unit, Wound Healing Center, Sleep Disorders Center, and Pain Care Center.   

The hospital was honored with the prestigious Tenet Circle of Excellence award for outstanding performance in 2005, 2006, and 2007.  North Shore received the 2006 CIGNA Centers of Excellence designation for caesarean section, stroke and syncope, the 2006 American Heart Association's Get With The Guidelines -- Heart Failure IPAA award, 2007 American Heart Association's Get with The Guidelines - Bronze IPAA award for CAD and Heart Failure, and the American College of Surgeons Commission On Cancer Commendation, 2005-2008. 

In 2007/2008, North Shore Medical Center also received a five-star rating of clinical excellence for maternity care from HealthGrades.   The hospital is fully accredited by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the nation's oldest and largest hospital accreditation agency.

Article Date: 7/1/2008

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Miami, FL --Tenet Healthcare Foundation, the charitable giving arm of Tenet Healthcare Corporation (NYSE: THC), and North Shore Medical Center announced today that they have awarded Leo Berman Ferretti a $2,000 college scholarship through the Children of Tenet Employees Scholarship Program. 

Ferretti is the son of Diane Berman, a registered respiratory therapist at North Shore Medical Center. Ferretti will be entering his second year at New College of Florida, the state's honor college. 

He graduated cum laude from Dr. Michael Krop Sr. High School in 2007 where served as president of the Ecology Club and Historian of the National English Honor Society.   In his freshman year at New College, he was elected Justice of the Student Court, participated in an energy audit for an outside firm, traveled to Peru to study the canopy of the rain forest. 

He is currently completing an internship in Washington state with the Student Conservation Association of Americorp.  "We are proud to help support children of our employees pursue higher education," said Manny Linares, North Shore Medical Center CEO.  "Leo has achieved great success and we wish him luck in his future endeavors."

Scholarships are awarded each year for full-time undergraduate study at any accredited two- or four-year college, university or vocational-technical school.  Winners are chosen based on academic record, demonstrated leadership, participation in school and community activities, honors, work experience, goals and aspirations stated on the application, unusual personal or family circumstances and an outside appraisal. 

The program is administered for Tenet by Scholarship Management Services, a department of Scholarship America in compliance with state and federal guidelines regulating scholarship awards by corporate foundations.   

Tenet Healthcare Foundation is a charitable foundation sponsored by Tenet Healthcare Corporation. Endowed by Tenet, the Foundation directs most of its grants to help unmet health care needs in the communities served by facilities owned by Tenet subsidiaries. 

The Foundation also provides grants to various educational, social services, civic and humanities-supporting organizations nationwide. Tenet Healthcare Corporation, through its subsidiaries, owns and operates acute care hospitals and related ancillary health care business, which include ambulatory surgery centers and diagnostic imaging centers. 

Tenet is committed to providing high quality care to patients in the communities we serve.  Tenet can be found on the World Wide Web at www.tenethealth.com.  

ABOUT NORTH SHORE MEDICAL CENTER North Shore Medical Center, part of Tenet Healthcare, is a 357-bed general acute care community hospital located at 1100 NW 95 Street in Miami.  The hospital has been serving the medical and health care needs of its community for more than 53 years. 

North Shore Medical Center offers a broad range of services, including 24-hour emergency care with Fast Track service, maternity, Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and psychiatric services.  The hospital also offers specialized centers, including the C. Gordon Griffith Comprehensive Cancer Center with IMRT and X-Knife Radiosurgery, Intensive Care Unit, Wound Healing Center, Sleep Disorders Center, and Pain Care Center.   

The hospital was honored with the prestigious Tenet Circle of Excellence award for outstanding performance in 2005, 2006,  2007, and 2008.  North Shore received the 2006 CIGNA Centers of Excellence designation for caesarean section, stroke and syncope, the 2006 American Heart Association's Get With The Guidelines --Heart Failure IPAA award, 2007 American Heart Association's Get with The Guidelines - Bronze IPAA award for CAD and Heart Failure; 2008 American Heart Association's Get with the Guidelines - Silver Performance Achievement Award for CAD and Heart Failure, and the 2008 Gold Performance Achievement Award for Heart Failure;  Accredited by the American College of Surgeons Commission On Cancer Commendation, 2005-2008; and FMQAI's Performance Achievement Award for Hospital Quality Improvement.   In 2008/2009, North Shore Medical Center also received a five-star rating of clinical excellence for maternity care from HealthGrades.

The hospital is fully accredited by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the nation's oldest and largest hospital accreditation agency.

Article Date: 5/2/2008

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MIAMI --Tenet Healthcare Corporation (NYSE: THC) announced today that North Shore Medical Center has been selected to the company's 2008 Circle of Excellence.    

The Circle of Excellence honors those Tenet hospitals that have performed at the highest levels in the past year in the areas of quality, service and operation performance.  Key factors involved in the process include patient, physician and employee satisfaction scores, clinical quality scores and financial performance.   

"The hard work and dedication of the employees at North Shore Medical Center made 2007 a great year for the hospital," said Stephen Newman, M.D., Tenet's chief operating officer.  "I'm proud of all that they accomplished and am thrilled to honor them with Tenet's Circle of Excellence Award."  Dr. Newman also praised the hospital executive team, led by Chief Executive Officer Manny Linares, for their hard work and leadership in the past year. 

"Health care is a business that requires dedication, passion and strong leadership skills to achieve positive results.  The executive team, employees and vitally important medical staff at North Shore Medical Center performed incredibly well in 2007, and I congratulate them on their successes."

Linares, Chief Operating Officer Joshua Detillio, Chief Financial Officer Jennifer Pittman and Chief Nursing Officer Charlotte Dardanello helped lead the hospital to achieve the highest overall quality scores in Tenet's Florida region for their performance according to quality and patient satisfaction metrics. 

North Shore Medical Center also received important third party recognition as a CIGNA Center of Excellence for Cesarean sections, stroke and syncope; and the American Heart Association's Get With the Guidelines award for coronary artery disease and heart failure.  

ABOUT NORTH SHORE MEDICAL CENTER North Shore Medical Center, part of Tenet Healthcare, is a 357-bed general acute care community hospital located at 1100 NW 95 Street in Miami. 

The hospital has been serving the medical and health care needs of its community for more than 53 years.  North Shore Medical Center offers a broad range of services, including 24-hour emergency care with Fast Track service, maternity, Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and psychiatric services. 

The hospital also offers specialized centers, including the C. Gordon Griffith Comprehensive Cancer Center with IMRT and X-Knife Radiosurgery, Intensive Care Unit, Wound Healing Center, Sleep Disorders Center, and Pain Care Center.   

The hospital was honored with the prestigious Tenet Circle of Excellence award for outstanding performance in 2005, 2006, and 2007.  North Shore received the 2006 CIGNA Centers of Excellence designation for caesarean section, stroke and syncope, the 2006 American Heart Association's Get With The Guidelines Heart Failure IPAA award, 2007 American Heart Association's Get with The Guidelines - Bronze IPAA award for CAD and Heart Failure, and the American College of Surgeons Commission On Cancer Commendation, 2005-2008. 

In 2007/2008, North Shore Medical Center also received a five-star rating of clinical excellence for maternity care from HealthGrades¨.   The hospital is fully accredited by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the nation's oldest and largest hospital accreditation agency. 

Tenet Healthcare Corporation, through its subsidiaries, owns and operates acute care hospitals and related ancillary health care businesses, which include ambulatory surgery centers and diagnostic imaging centers.  Tenet is committed to providing high quality care to patients in the communities we serve. 

Article Date: 3/13/2008

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See how North Shore Medical Center compares to local Miami-Dade hospitals on quality of care. 

To view our ad in the March 16, 2008 Miami Herald...QualityAdNorthShore0308.pdf 

Article Date: 10/8/2007

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North Shore Medical Center announced today that it has been recognized with a five-star rating for clinical excellence in maternity care from HealthGrades, a leading independent healthcare ratings company.

The 2007/2008 HealthGrades programmatic ratings for maternity care are based on the following criteria: in-hospital complication rates associated with vaginal and cesarean deliveries, in-hospital volume, neonatal mortality, and complication rates for non-medically indicated or patient choice cesarean sections.

“Receiving this distinguished and well-respected award provides evidence that patients who come to North Shore Medical Center for maternity services can receive outstanding care in their own community”, said hospital chief executive officer, Manny Linares.

For its 2007/2008 ratings, HealthGrades independently analyzed the quality of maternity care for more than 1,500 hospitals across 19 states that make this information publicly available, objectively assessing their clinical performance and quality over the three year period from 2003 – 2005. The four criteria measured were weighted using predetermined weights based on consensus from a physician panel. Each factor’s percentile score was multiplied by its weight and then summed to create an overall score. Based upon each hospital’s overall score, HealthGrades applied the following rating system:

Five-star (Best) = Top 15% of all hospitals within 19 states
Three-star (Average) = Middle 70% of all hospitals within 19 states
One-star (Poor) = Bottom 15% of all hospitals within 19 states

Receiving a five-star designation indicates a hospital has scored in the Top 15% or better in the nation for clinical quality.

“Each year, HealthGrades conducts the largest annual studies of hospital quality in America,” explained Samantha Collier, HealthGrades’ Chief Medical Officer. “The fact is, a close analysis of the data shows that the quality of maternity care varies widely from hospital to hospital, so it’s important for individuals to have this vital information as they evaluate hospitals.”

The complete maternity care ratings are published, free of charge, on the HealthGrades Web site, www.healthgrades.com. Ratings for 28 other medical procedures and diagnoses – including cardiac, pulmonary, vascular, stroke, orthopedics, critical care, bariatrics and gastrointestinal services are also available on the HealthGrades Web site. More than three million users visit the HealthGrades Web site each month.

Article Date: 4/19/2007

Text Area 1: MIAMI, Fla. – March, 2007 – North Shore Medical Center announces it has introduced digital mammography with computer aided detection to its comprehensive scope of services for women.
Women who undergo routine mammograms at North Shore Medical Center now have access to some of the latest diagnostic technology available to them, and North Shore Medical Center is one of the few hospitals in the Miami area to offer digital mammography.
“North Shore Medical Center is very excited to be able to offer some of the newest technology for breast cancer detection,” says Manny Linares, Chief Executive Officer. “Demand for digital mammography is high, and we are pleased to offer the women in our community this advanced technology. Early detection of breast cancer is key and helps save lives and may provide women with less invasive and less disfiguring treatment options.”
With digital mammography, the radiologist reviews electronic images of the breast, using special high-resolution monitors. The physician can adjust the brightness, change contrast, and zoom in for close ups of specific areas of interest. Being able to manipulate images is one of the main benefits of digital technology.

Another convenience of digital mammography over film-based systems is that it can greatly reduce the need for retakes due to over or under exposure. This potentially saves additional time and reduces your exposure to X-rays. Unlike film-based mammography, digital mammograms produce images that appear on the technologist’s monitor in a matter of seconds. There is no waiting for film to develop, which may result in a shorter time spent in the breast imaging suite.
From a patient’s point of view, having a digital mammogram is very much like having a conventional screen-film mammogram.


ABOUT NORTH SHORE MEDICAL CENTER

North Shore Medical Center, part of Tenet South Florida, is a 357-bed general acute care community hospital located at 1100 NW 95 Street in Miami. The hospital has been serving the medical and health care needs of its community for more than 53 years. North Shore Medical Center offers a broad range of services, including 24-hour emergency care with Fast Track service, maternity, Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and psychiatric services. The hospital also offers specialized centers, including the C. Gordon Griffith Comprehensive Cancer Center with IMRT and X-Knife Radiosurgery, Intensive Care Unit, Wound Treatment Center, Sleep Disorders Center, and Pain Care Center. The hospital is fully accredited by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the nation’s oldest and largest hospital accreditation agency. To learn more about North Shore Medical Center, visit www.northshoremedical.com.

Article Date: 4/18/2007

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MIAMI, Fla. – January, 2007 North Shore Medical Center announced it has received the Get With The Guidelines – Heart Failure (GWTG-HF) Initial Achievement Award from the American Heart Association. The recognition signifies that North Shore Medical Center has reached an aggressive goal of treating heart failure patients with 85% compliance to core standard levels of care outlined by the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology secondary prevention guidelines for heart failure patients.

    Get With The GuidelinesSM is a quality improvement initiative that provides hospital staff tools that follow proven evidence-based guidelines and procedures for heart failure patients in their care to prevent future hospitalizations.

    Under GWTG-HF, heart failure patients are started on aggressive risk reduction therapies such as cholesterol-lowering drugs, beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors, aspirin, diuretics, and anticoagulants in the hospital. They also receive alcohol/drug use and thyroid management counseling and referrals for cardiac rehabilitation before being discharged. North Shore Medical Center has successfully implemented these quality measures for one quarter or 90-days.
 
    “The full implementation of acute and secondary prevention guidelines is a critical step in saving the lives of heart failure patients,” said Gregg Fonarow, M.D., chairman of the GWTG Science Sub-Committee and director of Ahmanson-UCLA Cardiomyopathy Center. “The aim of the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines program is to help hospitals like North Shore Medical Center implement appropriate evidence-based guidelines for care and protocols that will reduce the number of deaths in these patients.” 

    According to the American Heart Association, about 5 million people suffer from heart failure. Statistics also show the incidence of heart failure has not declined in two decades and each year more than 52,000 people will die of heart failure.
“North Shore Medical Center is dedicated to making our care for heart failure patients among the best in the country, and implementing the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines - HF program will help us accomplish this by making it easier for our professionals to improve the long-term outcome for these patients,” said Chief Executive Officer, Manny Linares. 

    GWTG-HF helps North Shore Medical Center’s staff develop and implement acute and secondary prevention guideline processes. The program includes quality-improvement measures such as care maps, discharge protocols, standing orders and measurement tools. This quick and efficient use of guideline tools will enable North Shore Medical Center to improve the quality of care it provides heart failure patients, save lives and ultimately, reduce healthcare costs by lowering the recurrence of heart attacks. 

    The heart failure module, developed with support from an unrestricted educational grant from GlaxoSmithKline, is being implemented in hospitals around the country. For more information on Get With The Guidelines, visit www.americanheart.org/getwiththeguidelines.

ABOUT NORTH SHORE MEDICAL CENTER

North Shore Medical Center, part of Tenet South Florida, is a 357-bed general acute care community hospital located at 1100 NW 95 Street in Miami. The hospital has been serving the medical and health care needs of its community for more than 50 years. North Shore Medical Center offers a broad range of services, including 24-hour emergency care with Fast Track service, maternity, Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and psychiatric services. The hospital also offers specialized centers, including the C. Gordon Griffith Comprehensive Cancer Center with X-Knife Radiosurgery, Intensive Care Unit, Wound Treatment Center and Pain Care Center. The hospital is fully accredited by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the nation’s oldest and largest hospital accreditation agency. To learn more about North Shore Medical Center, visit www.northshoremedical.com.