Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Temple Recognized for High Quality Cardiac Surgery, Reaching New Milestones

Baylor Scott & White – Temple also expands cardiovascular services for adults and children

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TEMPLE, Texas – Central Texas patients now have more high-quality cardiac care options close to home.

The cardiac surgery program at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Temple recently earned a distinguished three-star rating, which is the highest possible from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS). The rating recognized high-quality patient care and outcomes in the most common heart operation: isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) procedures, also called bypass surgery. When arteries supplying blood to the heart are narrowed or blocked, the CABG procedure can improve blood flow. It is one of the most common and effective procedures to manage blockage of blood to the heart muscle, according to the American Heart Association.

"We are committed to optimizing outcomes for Central Texans needing cardiac care," said Ramachandra Reddy, MD, division chief, cardiothoracic and thoracic surgery. "Our collaborative team approach helped us earn this achievement, and we work each day to help guide our patients through the diagnosis and treatment of a wide variety of heart conditions so they can thrive."

The STS star rating system includes the most sophisticated and highly regarded measures of quality in healthcare, rating the benchmarked outcomes of cardiothoracic surgery programs across the United States and Canada. The star rating is calculated using a combination of quality measures for specific procedures performed by an STS Adult Cardiac Surgery Database (ACSD) participant. The STS National Database was established in 1989 to improve quality and patient safety among cardiothoracic surgeons.

The three-star distinction earned by Baylor Scott & White– Temple is achieved by only the top 20% of cardiac programs in the United States and Canada. The latest analysis of data for CABG surgery covers 2021.

Advanced cardiac care options for Central Texans

The team at Baylor Scott & White offers patients advanced cardiac care, including advancements in prevention, diagnostics, intervention, surgery and cardiac rehabilitation.

The BSW Temple heart transplant program recently reached a surgical milestone — 100 patients have received new hearts. As one of two heart transplant programs in the Baylor Scott & White system, and the only heart transplant program between Austin and Dallas, the multidisciplinary heart transplant program has expanded quality, convenient, and customized care to Central Texas residents. Teams of specialists dedicated to the treatment and recovery of advanced heart failure — including transplant cardiologists and surgeons on the medical staff, along with certified heart failure nurses, transplant coordinators, dietitians, social workers, and cardiac rehab therapists — are available in one location to provide personalized and convenient care.

The medical center’s transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) program, which offers a minimally invasive heart procedure option for patients diagnosed with aortic stenosis, also will reach a milestone soon. By the end of 2022, more than 1000 patients will have undergone TAVR procedures since the program started. This alternative to open heart surgery is for patients with aortic stenosis which, according to the American Heart Association, is one of the most common and serious valve diseases. Aortic stenosis occurs when the heart's valve narrows and reduces blood flow, causing the heart valve not to open fully.

Other cardiology services at Baylor Scott & White – Temple include electrophysiology, echocardiograms, stress testing, peripheral and cardiac catheterization, cardiac rehabilitation, congestive heart failure program, open heart surgery, and device management.

"We are honored to be of service to our communities, and these milestones and accolades are a recognition that the more a team performs a procedure, the more proficient they become," said Stephen Sibbitt, MD, chief medical officer, Baylor Scott & White – Temple. "We bring the strength of this experience and compassion to help each and every patient we care for."

Expanding cardiology services for pediatrics

The pediatric cardiology program at Baylor Scott & White McLane Children’s Medical Center is expanding this fall to bring high quality cardiac treatment options to the area. Due to population growth and an associated influx of children with pediatric cardiac disease and cardiac-related symptoms, echocardiogram outreach clinics are now traveling to pediatric clinics in Waco, Killeen, Round Rock, and College Station to serve the needs of Central Texas children.

"Building upon our more than 10 years of serving as the only children’s hospital between Austin and Dallas, we are proud to expand cardiology services for our pediatric patients with congenital heart diseases, muscle dystrophies, hemolytic anemia, genetic syndromes and for those needing cancer therapies," said Das Bibhuti, MD, section chief, pediatric cardiology. "We are proud to grow alongside our community, supporting our patients’ health and wellness needs now and into the future."

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About Baylor Scott & White Health
As the largest not-for-profit health system in the state of Texas, Baylor Scott & White promotes the health and well-being of every individual, family and community it serves. It is committed to making quality care more accessible, convenient and affordable through its integrated delivery network, which includes the Baylor Scott & White Health Plan, Baylor Scott & White Research Institute, the Baylor Scott & White Quality Alliance and its leading digital health platform – MyBSWHealth. Through 51 hospitals and more than 1,200 access points, including flagship academic medical centers in Dallas, Fort Worth and Temple, the system offers the full continuum of care, from primary to award-winning specialty care. Founded as a Christian ministry of healing more than a century ago, Baylor Scott & White today serves more than three million Texans. For more information, visit: BSWHealth.com