Bismarck's hospitals have received high marks from a healthcare ratings company.

The company gave St. Alexius Medical Center top marks in cardiac and pulmonary care, for which it received specialty excellence ratings. Medcenter One received top marks in vascular care, for which it received a specialty excellence rating.

St. Alexius also received a five-star rating from HealthGrades for clinical excellence in coronary bypass surgery, coronary interventional procedures, back and neck surgery, treatment of heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and community acquired pneumonia.

"St. Alexius Medical Center is committed to providing the high quality care that is recognized with this prestigious recognition," said Andrew Wilson, St. Alexius Medical Center president and CEO.

Medcenter One received five-star ratings in carotid endarterectomy, heart failure, resection/replacement of abdominal aorta and respiratory failure.

"We work very hard in all these areas to get very good outcomes," Medcenter One president and CEO Jim Cooper said.

Facilities are given a five-star, three-star or one-star rating for how it diagnoses and performs procedures. The star ratings are equal to better than expected, as expected and worse than expected.

HealthGrades surveys more than 5,000 hospitals each year. It uses Medicare data to evaluate facilities, and facilities do not ask to be evaluated, St. Alexius spokeswoman Jamie Driscoll said.

If a hospital wants to promote its HealthGrades rating, it must buy a license from HealthGrades, Cooper said. Medcenter chose not to buy a license and spend the money on staff, Medcenter spokeswoman Kris Magstadt said. Medcenter One provided its ratings after a request from the Tribune.

The 2007 HealthGrades ratings for all hospitals nationwide are available, free of charge, on the organization's Web site, located at www.healthgrades.com.

(Reach reporter Sara Kincaid at 250-8251 or sara.kincaid@;bismarcktri-bune.com.)