St. Joseph’s Health Hospital Named One of America’s 50 Best for Cardiac Surgery

New report identifies St. Joseph’s among the top hospitals nationally for


excellence in Cardiac Surgery

Syracuse, NY (October 24, 2018) – St. Joseph’s Health Hospital is one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Surgery according to a national study by Healthgrades,the leading online resource for comprehensive information about physicians and hospitals. Every year, Healthgrades evaluates hospital performance at almost 4,500 hospitals nationwide for 32 of the most common inpatient procedures and conditions, as well as tracking outcomes in appendectomy and bariatric surgery using all-payer data provided by 15 states and the District of Columbia.

The achievement is part of findings released on October 23, 2018 in the Healthgrades 2019 Report to the Nation. The new report demonstrates how clinical performance differs dramatically between hospitals nationally, regionally and at the local level, and the impact that this variation has on health outcomes. From 2015-2017, patients treated at hospitals receiving the America's 50 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Surgery Award have on average a 51.1% lower risk of dying than if they were treated in hospitals that did not receive the award. Additionally, from 2015-2017, patients treated at hospitals which did not receive the America's 50 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Surgery Award are on average 2.04 times more likely to die than if they were treated at hospitals that did receive the award.

“Hospitals that have achieved the Healthgrades America’s 50 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Surgery have proven their dedication to quality care and exceptional outcomes,” said Brad Bowman, MD, chief medical officer at Healthgrades. “Consumers should consider hospital quality when navigating their care journeys, and this recognition distinguishes St. Joseph’s Health in the marketplace.”

St. Joseph’s Health has invested funds and resources into their vision for regional cardiovascular services. In addition to expanding the reach of cardiac services throughout the system’s 16-county service area through hiring highly-trained physicians and surgeons, St. Joseph’s recently invested $32 million into their new Cardiovascular Institute and opened the Care Flight Helipad.

“Our team is committed to providing excellent cardiac care to our community and in the region. Recognitions by third-party organizations like Healthgrades reaffirm our efforts,” said Leslie Paul Luke, president and CEO at St. Joseph’s Health. “We strive to remain a top cardiac care institution by investing in state-of-the-art facilities including the St. Joseph’s Cardiovascular Institute and Care Flight Helipad which serve to ensure patients experiencing cardiac emergencies receive the care they need as quickly as possible.”

St. Joseph’s Health Hospital was also recognized for the following clinical achievements:

• Five-Star Recipient for Coronary Bypass Surgery for 2 Years in a Row (2018-2019)
• Five-Star Recipient for Valve Surgery for 8 Years in a Row (2012-2019)
• Five-Star Recipient for Total Knee Replacement for 13 Years in a Row (2007-2019)
• Five-Star Recipient for Total Hip Replacement in 2019
• Five-Star Recipient for Vaginal Delivery in 2018

For its analysis, Healthgrades evaluated approximately 45 million Medicare inpatient records for almost 4,500 short-term acute care hospitals nationwide to assess hospital performance in 32 common conditions and procedures, and evaluated outcomes in appendectomy and bariatric surgery using all-payer data provided by 15 states and the District of Columbia. Healthgrades recognizes a hospital’s quality achievements for cohort-specific performance, specialty area performance, and overall clinical quality. Individual procedure or condition cohorts are designated as 5-star (statistically significantly better than expected), 3-star (not statistically different from expected) and 1-star (statistically significantly worse than expected) categories. The complete Healthgrades 2019 Report to the Nation and detailed study methodology can be found at www.healthgrades.com/quality/.

About St. Joseph’s Health

St. Joseph’s Health is a regional non-profit health care system based in Syracuse, NY. Offering primary, specialty and home care, a Magnet-recognized hospital, and collaboration with community partners, St. Joseph's Health advances the well-being of the communities we serve through an expanding range of services to ensure our patients achieve optimum long-term health. St. Joseph’s is ranked by Consumer Reports among the top 15 heart surgery centers in the country, a designated Stroke Center, a U.S. News “Best Regional Hospital” and the only hospital in Onondaga County to be awarded an ‘A’ rating by Leapfrog® Hospital Safety Grades. St. Joseph’s Health is affiliated with Franciscan Companies and St. Joseph’s Physicians, and is a member of Trinity Health.