Mercy Cedar Rapids has been named one of the nation’s 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals, according to an independent quality report provided by PINC AI and reported by Fortune.
Mercy is one of only two Iowa hospitals to receive this recognition and the only one in the Cedar Rapids-Iowa City Corridor, according to a release.
The annual Top Cardiovascular Hospitals study recognizes hospitals that treat a broad range of cardiology patients. To select top performers, a research analysis is performed using publicly available data measuring cardiac care in the U.S. Hospitals do not apply to participate in the study.
“We are exceptionally proud of this recognition,” said Dr. C.C. Lee, Mercy cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon and co-medical director of The Plumb Heart Center at Mercy. “It’s a reflection of our dedicated team of providers and our positive patient outcomes. We’re grateful that so many patients trust their heart care to Mercy. Cardiovascular disease is still the number one killer in this country, so there will always be a need for trusted, quality cardiac services.”
Throughout the last eight years, Mercy’s patient volumes for heart care have nearly doubled, and soon the hospital’s cardiovascular patients will receive treatment at the new Jewel & Jim Plumb Heart Center, which is scheduled to open this summer.
This year, the 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals program winners delivered better outcomes, while operating more efficiently and at a lower cost. Compared to a peer group of non-winning cardiovascular hospitals, this year’s winners had:
- Significantly higher inpatient survival rates (19% to 40.6% higher).
- Fewer patients with complications (13.2% to 15.4% fewer complications).
- Higher 30-day survival rates for acute myocardial infarction (AMI); heart failure (HF); and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) patients (0.4% to 0.9% higher).
- Lower 30-day readmission rates for AMI, HF, and CABG patients (0.5% to 1% lower).
- Patients had a better experience at benchmark hospitals compared to peer hospitals, with a top-box HCAHPS score of 75% versus 70%.
“Heart disease remains the leading cause of death for all Americans, resulting in nearly 700,000 deaths and $229 billion in added costs each year,” said Leigh Anderson, president of performance services and the leader of PINC AI. “Given the life and death nature of this condition, patients and their loved ones need credible information to help them determine where to go for the best possible care. This objective, data-driven study proves that Mercy Cedar Rapids excels across a range of core performance indicators, which directly leads to significantly higher survival rates associated with cardiac care, with fewer readmissions and complications.”
