SALISBURY -- Peninsula Regional Medical Center (PRMC) has announced that its superior clinical quality has placed it among an elite group of U.S. hospitals: HealthGrades America’s 100 Best Hospitals-the only hospital on the Delmarva Peninsula to achieve this distinction, ranking it in the top 2% of the 5,000 American hospitals surveyed.

To be recognized, hospitals must have had risk-adjusted mortality and complication rates that were in the top 5% in the nation for the most consecutive years. Peninsula Regional has been ranked among the top 5% of all American hospitals from 2009 to 2012 -- a Delmarva Peninsula best.  On average, patients treated at America’s 100 Best Hospitals had nearly a 30% lower risk of death.

“This remarkable honor is an acknowledgement of how hard everyone at Peninsula Regional works to maintain the best possible environment for our patients, and it is humbling to know our efforts are paying off,” said Dr. Peggy Naleppa, President/CEO. “Like the other 99 US hospitals celebrating this prestigious honor today, we’re not perfect, but each of us is focused on becoming better at what we do every day. That constancy of purpose and excellent teamwork is what ultimately turns very good hospitals into great hospitals and great hospitals into America’s best hospitals.”

Recently, HealthGrades, the nation’s leading independent healthcare ratings organization, also announced Peninsula Regional Medical Center as one of the nations’ 100 Best Hospitals in 2012 for: Cardiac Care, Stroke Care, Pulmonary Care, Gastrointestinal Care, Critical Care, and General Surgery. Only four hospitals across the nation ranked among the 100 Best in more specialties; none located in the Mid-Atlantic region. HealthGrades also ranked PRMC #1 in Maryland in 2012 for Cardiology Services, Treatment of Stroke and Vascular Surgery (for the second consecutive year).

Additionally, the HealthGrades study again found Peninsula Regional a regional leader in clinical excellence, ranking it as the Best on the Delmarva Peninsula for Overall Cardiac Services, Cardiology, Stroke Care, Neurosciences, Overall Pulmonary Care, Vascular Surgery, Overall GI Care and Critical Care for 2012.

HealthGrades found that if all U.S. hospitals had performed at the level of PRMC, more than a half million Medicare deaths could have been prevented between 2000 and 2010. This finding was based on an analysis of more than 150 million Medicare patient records.

BERLIN -- Shamrock Realty Group has named Marilyn Bushnell as top sales agent and Julie Sadler as top listing agent for the month of February.

Bushnell joined Shamrock Realty Group in 2009 and is the immediate past president of the Women’s Council of Realtors Coastal Delmarva chapter.

Sadler, who has been with Shamrock since 2006, is the current president of the Women’s Council of Realtors Delmarva Chapter.

SALISBURY -- A seasoned administrator who has played a leadership role in campus developments such as the new Sea Gull Square complex and strategic enrollment planning has been appointed Salisbury University’s Vice President of Student Affairs.

“After thoroughly vetting a number of excellent candidates, I am very pleased to announce that Dr. Dane Foust has emerged the top finalist and has accepted my offer,” said SU President Janet Dudley-Eshbach. “Dr. Foust has served the community extremely well since 2006 when he came to Salisbury as our Associate Vice President of Student Affairs. More recently, upon the departure of Dr. Ellen Neufeldt last summer, Dane has served as Interim Vice President of Student Affairs. Accordingly, he brings significant knowledge of the campus community, enrollment management, assessment, retention, housing and all areas of student support to the vice presidency.”

“I’m grateful for this opportunity provided by President Dudley-Eshbach. It is a pleasure to work at an institution that is moving forward,” Foust said. “These are challenging times for higher education. Fortunately, there is strong leadership here, with a positive ‘get it done’ attitude. I’m proud to be part of this team.”

Foust holds a doctorate in higher education administration from The Pennsylvania State University, and for more than two decades has worked at campuses in Pennsylvania and New York as well as Salisbury.