But all Utah hospitals have mortality rates - for heart attack, heart failure and pneumonia patients - that are in line with national rates.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services updated its Hospital Compare Web site with more specific information about mortality rates in the nation's hospitals. Previously, the site only indicated whether a hospital's rate for heart attack and heart failure was above, below or at the national average.

Now, each hospital has a mortality rate for the three conditions and an estimate of the rate's certainty. The rates are risk-adjusted to take into account how ill patients were at their arrival.

At St. Mark's in Salt Lake City, an estimated 8.9 percent of the pneumonia patients treated between July 2006 and June 2007 died within 30 days of their admission. That compares to a national rate of 11.4 percent.

Jack Fried, director of respiratory care and neurodiagnostic services, attributes the rating in part to the hospital's aggressive implementation of the "ventilator bundle." The protocol includes keeping the patient's head elevated, their mouth free of secretions and their stomach acid neutralized.

Pulmonologist Jeff Kurrus also credits the collegial medical staff.

"Good communication and teamwork among the radiologists, pulmonologists, nurses, hospitalists and infectious disease physicians translate into superior care for pneumonia patients," he said.

The site is intended to help consumers make health care choices and motivate providers to improve care, CMS said. It reported the new data show a national drop in the 30-day heart attack mortality rate, from 16.3 percent reported to 16.1 percent.

Marc Babitz, director of the Utah Department of Health's Division of Health Systems Improvement, said the Web site is a great place for consumers to start with questions for their health care providers.

"What you want to do is look at who are the high performers, who are low performers and try to figure out why," he said.

The site also added data about how children are treated for asthma in hospitals, compared to national guidelines. However, Utah hospitals did not participate.

The site was launched in 2005, focusing on heart and pneumonia care. It now includes 26 entries about each hospital's care, the number of patients it treats for the conditions, results of patient satisfaction surveys and other information.

On the Web

Compare Utah's 37 listed hospitals at www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov.