St. Mary’s Hospital in Kankakee earns Healthgrades awards in two specialties

St. Mary’s Hospital in Kankakee has received 2027 Specialty Excellence Awards from Healthgrades for gallbladder removal surgery and treatment of respiratory failure, the hospital announced.The hospital earned five-star ratings in both categories for the second straight year, according to St. Mary’s. Healthgrades, an online service people use to find doctors and hospitals, bases the ratings on patient outcomes rather than surveys or reputation.Healthgrades measures risk-adjusted death and complication rates for more than 30 common conditions and procedures at about 4,500 hospitals nationwide, according to the release.Dr. Kalisha Hill, the hospital’s chief medical officer, credited its surgeons, including Surgery Department Chair Dr. Carlos Gonzalez, and the hospital’s da Vinci robotic-assisted surgical system. Hill said the robotic system lets patients recover faster than traditional surgery, with less pain and a smaller incision.She credited pulmonologists, respiratory therapists and n