Heart Hospital Named Top 50 in Nation

Heart Hospital of Lafayette has been named one of the nation’s 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals by Thomson Reuters. 

(Revised: February 28, 2012) 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 November 14 in Modern Healthcare magazine.  In 2008 HHL was named by Thomson Reuters as one of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals for cardiovascular care.

“We are proud of this outstanding achievement for our physicians and team members to be recognized amongst the 50 top cardiovascular hospitals in the nation by Thomson Reuters,” said William "Bud" Barrow, Chief Executive Officer at Heart Hospital of Lafayette. "This community deserves a top cardiac program and Heart Hospital consistently delivers on our promise to keep Acadiana families heart healthy.”

“This year’s 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals have continued to deliver excellent care and have been able to improve their performance in a tough economic climate," said Jean Chenoweth, senior vice president for performance improvement and 100 Top Hospitals® program at Thomson Reuters. “The hospitals in this study have provided measurably better care and are more efficient than their peers, demonstrating incredibly strong focus by hospital leadership at a time when the healthcare system is steeped in volatility.”

The study shows that 97 percent of cardiovascular inpatients in U.S. hospitals survive and approximately 96 percent remain complication-free, reflecting improved cardiovascular care across-the-board over the past year. The 50 top hospitals’ performance surpasses these high-water marks as indicated by:

• Better risk-adjusted survival rates (23 percent fewer deaths than non-winning hospitals for bypass surgery patients).
• Lower complications indices (40 percent lower rate of heart failure complications).
• Fewer patients readmitted to the hospital after 30 days.
• Shorter hospital visits and lower costs. Top hospitals discharge bypass patients nearly a full day sooner and spend $4,200 less per bypass case than non-winners. 
• Increased use of internal mammary artery (IMA) for coronary artery bypass surgeries.  Top hospitals have increased their use of this recommended procedure from 88 to 96 percent

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 2009 and 2010 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.

Heart Hospital of Lafayette is an entire hospital focused on heart disease and is committed to its mission of reinventing the way heart care is delivered.  For more information about HHL, please visit the hospital’s web site at www.hearthospitallaf.net.

Thomson Reuters
Thomson Reuters is the world's leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals.  We combine industry expertise with innovative technology to deliver critical information to leading decision makers in the financial, legal, tax and accounting, healthcare and science and media markets, powered by the world's most trusted news organization. With headquarters in New York and major operations in London and Eagan, Minnesota, Thomson Reuters employs 55,000 people and operates in over 100 countries.  For more information, go to http://thomsonreuters.com.