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Aultman Hospital Named one of the Nation’s Top Cardiovascular Hospitals
November 14, 2011
CANTON, Ohio (Nov. 14, 2011) – Aultman Hospital has been named one of the nation’s 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals by Thomson Reuters.
The study examined the performance of more than 1,000 hospitals by analyzing outcomes for patients with heart failure and heart attacks and for those who received coronary bypass surgery and percutaneous coronary interventions such as angioplasties.
This is the third time Aultman has been recognized with this honor. This year’s winners were announced November 14 in Modern Healthcare magazine.
“Being recognized again this year truly symbolizes our ongoing commitment to excellence in cardiac services in our community,” said Chris Schoelles, RN, BSN, vice president of Aultman Heart Center. “We continue to prepare for the future of health care, using innovative techniques to keep ourselves on the cutting edge of cardiac care.”
Schoelles credits the tremendous efforts of Aultman’s cardiac program. “We could not achieve this honor without the leadership of our dedicated physicians,” Schoelles said. “All of our cardiac physicians are genuinely committed to providing the highest level of quality care to our patients.”
“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.”
About the Study
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
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 55,000 people and operates in over 100 countries. For more information, go to http://thomsonreuters.com.