JAX Chamber: Memorial Hospital Earns CABG Surgery 3-Star Rating

Jacksonville FL

18 December, 2021

1:42 PM

Description

Press release from the JAX Chamber: December 17, 2021   "We appreciate all the hard work of our cardiologists, intensivists, cath lab, OR and nursing staff," said Albert E. Holt, IV, MD, MBA, Chief Medical Officer at Memorial. "Particular thanks to our cardiothoracic surgeons for their keen attention to training staff and implementing processes to provide the best care for our patients," said Dr. Holt.   The STS star rating system is one of the most sophisticated and highly regarded overall measures of quality in health care, rating the benchmarked outcomes of cardiothoracic surgery programs in the United States and Canada. The star rating is calculated using a combination of quality measures for specific procedures performed by an STS Adult Cardiac Surgery Database participant.   Historically, approximately 4%–7% of participants receive the three-star rating for CABG surgery. The latest analysis of data for CABG surgery covers a one-year period, ending in June 2021. "This is a tremendous honor and our rating illustrates that our approach to cardiovascular care is highly effective and affirms our position as a leader in cardiovascular surgery. We have always strived to be better tomorrow than today," said Dale Mueller, MD, Chief of Surgery and Medical Director of Cardiovascular Surgery at Memorial. "We want our patients, and all of Northeast Florida and Southern Georgia to know, that we constantly and persistently strive to improve cardiac surgery care. This endless pursuit will not stop."   "From a patient perspective, when they come to Memorial they will know they're getting excellent care – care that has been recognized at the top of its ranking from pre-operative care to surgery and post-operative care," said Fawad Naeem Khawaja, MD, cardiothoracic surgeon at Memorial. "As a surgeon who performs complex aortic or complex heart surgeries this is a real compliment to the entire team at Memorial. Only about 5% of all cardiac programs in the United States have scored a 3-star rating."   "The Society of Thoracic Surgeons congratulates STS National Database participants who have received three-star ratings," said David M. Shahian, MD, chair of the Task Force on Quality Measurement. "Participation in the Database and public reporting demonstrates a commitment to quality improvement in health care delivery and provides patients and their families with meaningful information to help them make informed decisions about health care."   The STS National Database was established in 1989 as an initiative for quality improvement and patient safety among cardiothoracic surgeons. The Database includes three components: the Adult Cardiac Surgery Database (ACSD), the Congenital Heart Surgery Database (CHSD), the General Thoracic Surgery Database (GTSD), and the mechanical circulatory support database (Intermacs). The STS ACSD houses approximately 6.9 million surgical records and gathers information from more than 3,800 participating physicians, including surgeons and anesthesiologists from more than 90% of hospitals that perform heart surgery in the US. STS public reporting online enables STS ACSD participants to voluntarily report to each other and the public their heart surgery scores and star ratings.   "I am very proud of this distinction – I would bring my loved one here if they needed heart surgery!" said Dr. Khawaja.   About STS The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) is a not-for-profit organization that represents more than 7,300 surgeons, researchers, and allied health care professionals worldwide who are dedicated to ensuring the best possible outcomes for surgeries of the heart, lung, and esophagus, as well as other surgical procedures within the chest. The Society's mission is to enhance the ability of cardiothoracic surgeons to provide the highest quality patient care through education, research, and advocacy.   About Memorial Hospital - Memorial Hospital is a full service, acute care, Level II Trauma hospital with 454 inpatient beds and three freestanding emergency rooms serving northeast Florida. Fully accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). Memorial is ranked as one of top hospitals in the country for heart, lung and surgical care. For more information about us, visit: MemorialHospitalJax.com   Odette Struys Public Relations 904-707-9301 [email protected] This press release was produced by the JAX Chamber. The views expressed here are the author's own.