Three Georgia-Carolina hospitals ranked worse than the national average on a list that compares patient death rates.

USA Today posted information on its website from the government that compares the death rates for every hospital in the U.S.

The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released its best estimates of heart attack, heart failure and pneumonia death rates for two years.

According to the data, Aiken Regional Medical Center’s heart failure death rate was 15.9 percent for 2006-2007. The national average was 11 percent.

Also in 2006-2007, McDuffie Regional Medical Center in Thomson and Augusta’s University Hospital had higher pneumonia mortality rates than the national average which was also 11 percent. McDuffie Regional ranked 17.2 percent and University Hospital had a 16.8 percent rating.

A spokesperson for University Hospital said the higher death rates are not due so much to the quality of care, but pre-existing conditions of the patients.

“Many of our patients are coming in with end of life issues and the south is historically known for the fact that they don't deal with that and they end up coming to the hospital,” said Heidi Nelson, Director of Performance Improvement and Patient Safety, University Hospital.

Nelson says, many times it’s not necessary for terminally ill people to go to the hospital. She says it’s more important for them to plan for their deaths in advance.

In a statement, Aiken Regional pointed out its national ranking was number one within the CSRA for Medicare Core measures.