ST. GEORGE – Dixie Regional Medical Center has been named one of the nation’s 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals by Truven Health Analytics. This is the fifth time Dixie Regional has been recognized with this honor.

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 year’s winners were announced Oct. 1, 2012 in “Modern Healthcare” magazine.

“We are honored to be included as one of the top 50 heart hospitals in the nation,” said Terri Kane, CEO/Administrator for Dixie Regional Medical Center.  “This prestigious recognition has been awarded to our hospital because of the unwavering commitment to teamwork and best practice medicine. Congratulations go to our cardiovascular care team which crosses more than 30 departments of the hospital and to our top notch physicians including our heart surgeons, cardiologists, emergency physicians, intensivists, internists, hospitalists, family practice doctors, and anesthesiologists. Our goal is to be the best hospital in the country.”

“This year’s 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals have proven that a commitment to deliver excellent care is still attainable in times of economic uncertainty,” said Jean Chenoweth, senior vice president for performance improvement and the 100 Top Hospitals program at Truven Health Analytics. “The hospitals in this study have achieved higher levels of care and efficiency than their peers, demonstrating incredibly strong focus by cardiologists, cardiovascular surgeons, and cardiovascular service administrators and staff on basic care and outcomes.”

The study shows that cardiovascular outcomes in U.S. hospitals are improving nationwide. Across all U.S. hospitals, 96 percent of cardiovascular inpatients survive and remain complication-free. Among the 50 Top Hospitals, performance surpasses these high-water marks as indicated by:

• Better risk-adjusted survival rates (41 percent fewer deaths than expected, compared with 9 percent fewer than expected at peer hospitals) for bypass surgery patients.

• Lower complications indices (35 percent lower rate of heart failure complications than peers).

• Fewer patients readmitted to the hospital after 30 days.

• Shorter hospital stays. The typical winning hospital released their bypass patients a full day sooner, and their heart attack and heart failure patients about three-quarters of a day sooner than their peers.

• Lower costs. Top hospitals spend $3,500 less per bypass case and $1,000 less per angioplasty 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.

Truven Health Analytics researchers analyzed 2010 and 2011 Medicare Provider Analysis and Review data, 2010 Medicare cost reports, and 2012 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services 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.

Related:
– How does Dixie Regional compare to other hospitals?