Thomson Reuters Announces Top U.S. Hospitals for Heart Care

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Nov. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Thomson Reuters today released its annual study identifying the top U.S. hospitals for inpatient cardiovascular services.

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The study, in its thirteenth year, singled out 50 hospitals that achieved superior clinical outcomes.

"This year's 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals have continued to deliver excellent care and have been able to improve their performance in a tough economic climate," said Jean Chenoweth, senior vice president for performance improvement and 100 Top Hospitals® program at Thomson Reuters. "The hospitals in this study have provided measurably better care and are more efficient than their peers, demonstrating incredibly strong focus by hospital leadership at a time when the healthcare system is steeped in volatility."

The study shows that 97 percent of cardiovascular inpatients in U.S. hospitals survive and approximately 96 percent remain complication-free, reflecting improved cardiovascular care across-the-board over the past year. The 50 top hospitals' performance surpasses these high-water marks as indicated by:

• Better risk-adjusted survival rates (23 percent fewer deaths than non-winning hospitals for bypass surgery patients).

• Lower complications indices (40 percent lower rate of heart failure complications).

• Fewer patients readmitted to the hospital after 30 days.

• Shorter hospital visits and lower costs. Top hospitals discharge bypass patients nearly a full day sooner and spend $4,200 less per bypass case than non-winners.  

• Increased use of internal mammary artery (IMA) for coronary artery bypass surgeries.  Top hospitals have increased their use of this recommended procedure from 88 to 96 percent

The study evaluated general and applicable specialty, short-term, acute care, non-federal U.S. hospitals treating a broad spectrum of cardiology patients.

Thomson Reuters researchers analyzed 2009 and 2010 Medicare Provider Analysis and Review (MedPAR) data, Medicare cost reports, and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Compare data. They scored hospitals in key performance areas: risk-adjusted mortality, risk-adjusted complications, core measures (a group of measures that assess process of care), percentage of coronary bypass patients with internal mammary artery use, 30-day mortality rates, 30-day readmission rates, severity-adjusted average length of stay, and wage- and severity-adjusted average cost.

The Thomson Reuters 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals were classified into three comparison groups. (The order of hospitals in the list does not reflect performance ranking.)

Teaching Hospitals With Cardiovascular Residency Programs
Mayo Clinic Hospital – Phoenix, AZ
The University of Kansas Hospital – Kansas City, KS
Lahey Clinic – Burlington, MA
Saint Vincent Hospital – Worcester, MA
Park Nicolett Methodist Hospital – St. Louis Park, MN
Hackensack University Medical Center – Hackensack, NJ
Deborah Heart and Lung Center – Browns Mills, NJ
NYU Langone Medical Center – New York, NY
Kettering Medical Center – Kettering, OH
Doctors Hospital – Columbus, OH
The Washington Hospital – Washington, PA
Allegheny General Hospital – Pittsburgh, PA
Robert Packer Hospital – Sayre, PA
Bryn Mawr Hospital –  Bryn Mawr, PA
Lankenau Hospital – Wynnewood, PA

Teaching Hospitals Without Cardiovascular Residency Programs
Morton Plant Hospital – Clearwater, FL
St. Luke's Boise Medical Center – Boise, ID
St. John's Hospital – Springfield, IL
Decatur Memorial Hospital – Decatur, IL
Marquette General Hospital – Marquette, MI
St. Joseph Mercy Hospital – Ann Arbor, MI
Mercy Medical Center – Canton, OH
Aultman Hospital – Canton, OH
Bethesda North Hospital – Cincinnati, OH
St. Luke's Hospital – Bethlehem, PA
UPMC Hamot – Erie, PA
St. Joseph Medical Center – Reading, PA
Memorial Hermann Hospital System – Houston, TX
Baptist St. Anthony's Health System – Amarillo TX
Corpus Christi Medical Center – Corpus Christi, TX
St. Mark's Hospital – Salt Lake City, UT
St. Mary's Hospital – Richmond, VA
Aspirus Wausau Hospital – Wausau, WI
Gundersen Lutheran – La Crosse, WI
Meriter Hospital – Madison, WI

Community Hospitals
St. Francis Medical Center – Lynwood, CA
French Hospital Medical Center – San Luis Obispo, CA
Martin Memorial Medical Center – Stuart, FL
Provena Covenant Medical Center – Urbana, IL
St. Vincent Heart Center of Indiana – Indianapolis, IN
Heart Hospital of Lafayette – Lafayette, LA
Nebraska Heart Institute & Heart Hospital – Lincoln, NE
Gaston Memorial Hospital – Gastonia, NC
The Chester County Hospital and Health System – West Chester, PA
Doylestown Hospital – Doylestown, PA
Maury Regional Medical Center – Columbia, TN
Heart Hospital of Austin – Austin, TX
Dixie Regional Medical Center – St. George, UT
Memorial Regional Medical Center – Mechanicsville, VA
Bellin Hospital – Green Bay, WI

About Thomson Reuters

Thomson Reuters is the world's leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals.  We combine industry expertise with innovative technology to deliver critical information to leading decision makers in the financial, legal, tax and accounting, healthcare and science and media markets, powered by the world's most trusted news organization.  With headquarters in New York and major operations in London and Eagan, Minnesota, Thomson Reuters employs more than 55,000 people and operates in over 100 countries.  For more information, go to www.thomsonreuters.com.

SOURCE Thomson Reuters Healthcare