Pregnancy Journals Recalls Safety Shopping Sleep Site Map Shop. National and local news organizations rate hospitals and physicians, but these ratings may be based more on anecdotes and name recognition than performance. Furthermore, you don't know that your experience in a hospital will be similar to that received by someone else.
Most people pick one and just hope for the best.
If you're one of those that just don't want to take the time to get more information, skip this section. On the other hand if you like to know as much as possible about what you are buying and have some time, read on. A modest amount of research can help you understand a lot more about the performance of the hospitals in your area. It won't guarantee a good hospital experience, but it will make you a better informed consumer. Call the public relations or marketing department and ask them how often they perform the procedure in question or treat a certain type of illness.