The
Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) has awarded its highest rating –
3 stars – to McLaren Bay Region’s Cardiac Surgery Program in the
area of isolated coronary bypass graft surgery (CABG).
The
STS National Adult Cardiac Surgery database is the largest single
specialty database for healthcare quality in the country, with more
than 1,050 participants and more than 4 million patient records. The
STS has developed a comprehensive rating system for the quality of
cardiac surgery among hospitals across the country, based upon 11
individual NQF (National Quality Forum) endorsed CABG measures of
quality, including:
-
Do
patients survive the surgery
-
Do
they avoid debilitating complications
-
Do
they receive an internal mammary artery graft if appropriate
-
Do
they receive guideline recommended medications that may
substantially impact long term freedom from cardiac events
In
the current analysis of national data covering the period from July
2011 through June 2012, 14% of cardiac surgery sites received the “3
star” rating for CABG surgery - the highest category of quality.
The cardiac surgery performance of McLaren Bay Region was found to
lie in this highest quality tier, thereby receiving an STS 3 – star
rating.
Ramesh
Cherukuri. MD, one of two cardiac surgeons practicing at McLaren Bay
Region, is quick to credit the entire team for this rating. Robert
Holmes, MD, agrees. “McLaren Bay Region’s 3-Star
rating is the result of the implementation of best practice
guidelines developed by national and state medical organizations - in
particular the MSTCVS’s Quality Initiative. The coordinated efforts
of the entire team - consisting of doctors, physician assistants,
nurses, surgical
techs, pharmacists and therapists - with administrative support -
were essential in making this possible.”
For
more information about the Michigan Society of Thoracic and CV
Surgeons QI initiative, see www.mstcvs.org/qc.