November 16, 2010
Avera Heart Hospital of South Dakota Named One of the Nation's Top 50 Cardiovascular Hospitals by Thomson Reuters
Sioux Falls, SD – November 16, 2010- Avera Heart Hospital of South Dakota has been named one of the nation’s 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals by Thomson Reuters. The study, now in its twelfth year, for the first time singled out 50 hospitals rather than the traditional practice of naming 100 winners. The study examined the performance of 1,022 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 fifth year that Avera Heart Hospital has been recognized with this honor. This year’s winners were announced November 15 in Modern Healthcare magazine.
“We are honored that our hospital’s commitment to offering quality cardiovascular care to this region is being recognized at a national level. This could not happen without the dedicated staff who offer our patients the best possible care. For patients this means shorter hospital stays, lower costs and overall better outcomes,” said Jon Soderholm, President and CEO of the Avera Heart Hospital.
“We’ve chosen a more elite group of winners this year. These hospitals have raised the bar significantly,” said Jean Chenoweth, senior vice president for performance improvement and 100 Top Hospitals® program at Thomson Reuters. “They deliver higher survival rates, shorter hospital stays, fewer readmissions, and lower costs — which adds up to enormous value for the communities they serve. As a result, everyone benefits: patients, families, employers, insurers and the hospital itself.”
The study shows that 96 percent of cardiovascular inpatients survive and approximately 93 percent remain complication-free, indicative of improved cardiovascular care across-the-board over the past decade. The 50 top hospitals’ performance surpasses these high-water marks as indicated by:
- Better risk-adjusted survival rates (33 percent fewer deaths than non-winning hospitals for bypass surgery).
- Lower complications indices (21 percent lower for heart failure complications).
- Fewer patients readmitted to the hospital in the 30 days following discharge.
- Shorter hospital visits and lower costs. Top hospitals discharge heart patients a half day sooner and spend $1,300 less per case than non-winners.
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 2008 and 2009 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 Avera Heart Hospital specializes in heart and vascular medicine. We use a team approach, so patients receive the most appropriate treatment. Avera Heart Hospital was also built around the universal care, or patient-centered care model. This approach allows patients to stay in the same room during their entire stay without having to transfer to different units such as an intensive care unit. Instead each room is equipped to care for critically ill patients. Universal care also involves families. There are no visiting hours and families are invited to be a part of the healing process. The Avera Heart Hospital is:
- Among the top 3% nationally for overall patient satisfaction
- The lowest 30-day, risk-adjusted heart attack mortality and readmission rates in the region.
- An accredited chest pain center-by the Society for Chest Pain Centers
About Avera Heart Hospital
The Avera Heart Hospital of South Dakota is the region's first and only hospital dedicated solely to the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease. By focusing on the nation's number one killer, patients receive the benefits of advanced technology and personalized services focused on their individual needs. The hospital is a cooperative venture between Avera McKennan and North Central Heart Institute.
For more information on the study, go to www.100tophospitals.com/top-cardio-hospitals
