Figures released on Tuesday by MN Community Measurement show Minnesota hospitals had average or above average performance compared to hospitals around the nation when treating heart attacks, heart failure and pneumonia.
 
Each of the three medical conditions was tracked by mortality, or the death rate, that occurred within 30 days following hospitalization. For these measures, lower rates of death are better.
 

 
In all three cases, the Minneapolis-based health care data nonprofit said that Mayo Clinic in Rochester had the lowest mortality rate in the state. Mayo’s rate for heart attack was 11.6 percent, for heart failure it was 9.4 percent, and for pneumonia it was 12.3 percent.
 
“These measures are relevant for patients seeking health care and also have value for hospitals as they strive to improve their quality of care,” said MN Community Measurement president Jim Chase in prepared remarks. “Hospitals have been submitting outcome data for years, and it’s important to draw attention to what they are reporting and to put it into context for patients.”
 
MN Community Measurement also collects quality care rates for a variety of other procedures—from strep throat tests to knee x-rays—on its website.