The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) has recently bestowed both of Baylor Health Care System’s cardiovascular specialty hospitals with its highest honor. Baylor Heart and Vascular Services at Dallas (BHVS) and The Heart Hospital Baylor Plano (THHBP) have earned the coveted three-star rating from STS for both valve replacement surgery and heart bypass surgery. Less than three percent of the nation’s hospitals have earned three-star ratings in both procedures.
The STS National Cardiac Database, which the STS rating system is based upon, measures outcomes for more than 90 percent of the 1,100 cardiac surgery programs in the United States.
“The STS is widely considered the most respected quality rating organization for heart surgery in the country, so to receive three stars in both valve replacement and bypass is really a testament to the quality of our program and the people who work here,” says Baron Hamman, MD, chairman of the department of cardiothoracic surgery at Baylor University Medical Center.
STS is a not-for-profit organization that seeks to enhance the ability of cardiothoracic surgeons to provide the highest quality patient care through education, research and advocacy. The organization’s rating system for bypass surgery–one of the most common heart procedures–takes into account how well a hospital performs on more than 10 different quality metrics, including mortality and serious post-procedure complications rates. The STS uses a similar rating system for valve replacement procedures.
BHVS at Dallas and THHBP’s top ratings in valve replacement measured the reporting period from January 2010 through December 2012. For bypass surgery, the reporting period was January 2012 through December 2012.
“Only 24 hospitals in the U.S. are STS three-star hospitals in both procedures. Baylor is home to two of them,” says Michael Mack, MD, FACS, medical director of cardiovascular disease for Baylor Health Care System. “I think that’s an exclamation point on our long-standing commitment to improving the quality of care for patients with heart disease and striving to offer a level of medical excellence that just isn’t available everywhere.”
Susan Hall
SusanH@baylorhealth.edu
214-566-2589
About Baylor Scott & White Health
As the largest not-for-profit health system in the state of Texas, Baylor Scott & White is empowering customers to live well by reimagining traditional healthcare — creating more convenient, personalized and informed experiences. It serves more than three million customers through 55 hospitals, including flagship academic medical centers in Dallas, Fort Worth and Temple; the Baylor Scott & White Research Institute; 1,300+ access points; 59,000+ team members; and its leading digital platform — MyBSWHealth. The system's award-winning employer solutions include Baylor Scott & White Health Plan, Baylor Scott & White Quality Alliance and Levanto — a company offering digitally enabled health products. Founded as a Christian ministry of healing more than a century ago, Baylor Scott & White's mission is to promote the health and well-being of all individuals, families and communities. For more information, visit: BSWHealth.com
