The Top 50 Heart Care US Hospitals

On November 15, 2010 Thomson Reuters released its annual study identifying the top U.S. hospitals for inpatient cardiovascular services. 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.

The 50 top hospitals exceeded the following standards:

  • 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.

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

Teaching Hospitals with Cardiovascular Residency Programs

  1. Mayo Clinic Hospital — Phoenix, AZ
  2. Cleveland Clinic Florida — Weston, FL
  3. St. Vincent Indianapolis Hospital — Indianapolis, IN
  4. The University of Kansas Hospital — Kansas City, KS
  5. Ochsner Medical Center — New Orleans, LA
  6. Baystate Medical Center — Springfield, MA
  7. Providence Hospital and Medical Center — Southfield, MI
  8. St. Joseph Mercy Oakland — Pontiac, MI
  9. St. John Macomb-Oakland Hospital — Warren, MI
  10. Mayo Clinic-Saint Mary’s Hospital — Rochester, MN
  11. Albany Medical Center — Albany, NY
  12. Kettering Medical Center — Kettering, OH
  13. Geisinger Medical Center — Danville, PA
  14. Robert Packer Hospital — Sayre, PA
  15. University of Virginia Medical Center — Charlottesville, VA

Teaching Hospitals without Cardiovascular Residency Programs

  1. Tucson Medical Center — Tucson, AZ
  2. Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center — Pomona, CA
  3. Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center — Denver, CO
  4. JFK Medical Center — Atlantis, FL
  5. Morton Plant Hospital — Clearwater, FL
  6. St. Luke’s Boise Medical Center — Boise, ID
  7. Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center — Boise, ID
  8. Genesis Medical Center East — Davenport, IA
  9. Marquette General Hospital — Marquette, MI
  10. Munson Medical Center — Traverse City, MI
  11. Park Nicolett Methodist Hospital — St. Louis Park, MN
  12. Ellis Hospital — Schenectady, NY
  13. Mount Carmel — Columbus, OH
  14. Aultman Hospital — Canton, OH
  15. St. John Medical Center — Westlake, OH
  16. Saint Francis Hospital — Tulsa, OK
  17. Hamot Medical Center — Erie, PA
  18. Wellmont Holston Valley Medical Center — Kingsport, TN
  19. Centra Health — Lynchburg, VA
  20. St. Mary’s Hospital — Richmond, VA

Community Hospitals

  1. Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center — Torrance, CA
  2. Martin Memorial Medical Center — Stuart, FL
  3. Venice Regional Medical Center — Venice, FL
  4. Delray Medical Center — Delray Beach, FL
  5. Edward Hospital –Naperville, IL
  6. Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital — Downers Grove, IL
  7. Saint Joseph-London — London, KY
  8. Baptist Hospital East — Louisville, KY
  9. High Point Regional Health System — High Point, NC
  10. Mercy Hospital Fairfield — Fairfield, OH
  11. Williamsport Regional Medical Center — Williamsport, PA
  12. Avera Heart Hospital of South Dakota — Sioux Falls, SD
  13. Dixie Regional Medical Center — St. George, UT
  14. Memorial Regional Medical Center — Mechanicsville, VA
  15. Aurora BayCare Medical Center — Green Bay, WI

(From: Thomson Reuters, www.thomsonreuters.com)