Heart Hospital of Austin Named One of the Nation's Top Cardiovascular Hospitals by Thomson Reuters

AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- On November 14, 2011, Heart Hospital of Austin was named one of the nation's 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals by Thomson Reuters for 2012. This is the sixth year Heart Hospital of Austin has been recognized with this honor. Heart Hospital of Austin was a five-time recipient of Thomson Reuters 100 Top Hospitals® Cardiovascular Benchmarks for Success award, which names the top 100 cardiovascular hospitals in the country, and most recently was named to the list of 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals. In 2012, only four hospitals in Texas received this distinction.

"We are honored to be listed among the 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals in the country for the sixth year," David Laird, chief executive officer of Heart Hospital of Austin, said. "The dedication of our doctors, nurses and staff has helped establish Heart Hospital of Austin as a national center of excellence, and we are pleased that our efforts have been recognized."

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 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals have continued to deliver excellent care and have been able to improve their performance in a tough economic climate," Jean Chenoweth, senior vice president for performance improvement and 100 Top Hospitals® program at Thomson Reuters, said. "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.

This year's 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals winners were announced November 14 in Modern Healthcare magazine.

Heart Hospital of Austin
Specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease, Heart Hospital of Austin is a shared vision of local cardiologists and cardiovascular surgeons. Working with hospital leadership, the physicians created an atmosphere of quality, resulting in the leading cardiac program in Texas for six consecutive years as ranked by HealthGrades®—a leading independent health ratings organization. In July 2009, a study funded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services revealed that Heart Hospital of Austin was the leading hospital in the United States for treatment of a heart attack. Heart Hospital of Austin has also been named a top cardiovascular hospital in the nation by Thomson Reuters for six years, most recently being named to the list of 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals. In addition to providing a full range of cardiovascular services and an advanced Executive Wellness Program, Heart Hospital of Austin has a comprehensive 24-hour emergency department. For more information, please visit HeartHospitalofAustin.com.

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 ThomsonReuters.com.

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SOURCE Heart Hospital of Austin