ST. PAUL, MN -- (MARKET WIRE) -- November 27, 2006 -- St. Joseph's Hospital, Minnesota's first
hospital and a leading provider of high-tech, high-touch heart care
services, has been named for the second year in a row as one of Solucient's
Top 100 Cardiovascular Hospitals.
A total of 844 hospitals were evaluated on eight measures of clinical
quality, performance, and operational efficiency. Evanston, Ill.-based
Solucient uses data from two primary sources: the Medicare Provider
Analysis and Review (MedPAR) and Medicare cost reports.
Hospitals included in the study in federal fiscal 2004 and 2005 combined
had treated patients in each of four categories: heart attack, congestive
heart failure, coronary angioplasty, and coronary artery bypass graft
surgery.
One of Solucient's most critical findings is this: more than 8,300
additional heart patients (11.3 per hospital) would have survived in 2005
if all 744 peer-group hospitals provided the same quality of care as a Top
100 Cardiovascular hospital like St. Joseph's. Another 574 patients could
have avoided developing such complications as infections and hemorrhaging,
according to the report.
Colleen Nadeau, Director of Cardiovascular Services, HealthEast hospitals,
credited a talented, cohesive group of surgeons and cardiologists, a
veteran catheterization laboratory/operating suite staff, cutting-edge
technology, compassionate care, a multi-disciplinary team approach, and
immediate intervention as the facility's greatest strengths.
"St. Joseph's consistently beats the national averages when it comes to
quality outcomes," Nadeau said. "Congestive heart failure risk adjusted
mortality is 2% better than the best quartile of our benchmark group; risk
adjusted post-op infection rate is 36% better than the best quartile of our
benchmark group; and we consistently exceeded the best quartile of our
benchmark group with the core measures for acute myocardial infarction
(AMI), including ACE/LVSD, aspirin at arrival and discharge, and beta
blocker at arrival and discharge."
Nadeau also pointed to the hospital's strong commitment to exceeding
national benchmarks and applying rapid-cycle improvements as a leading
factor in its stellar performance. In 2005, this philosophy was used to
identify cardiac patients at high risk for developing contrast-induced
nephropathy (CIN), leading to acute kidney failure. A collaborative effort
brought forth new protocols that reduced rates from 13.6% to 5.25% in just
six months.
St. Joseph's campus is in the midst of an $80 million expansion and
renovation plan that includes further enhancement of its cardiovascular
services in support of best practice recommendations. The project is
scheduled to be completed in late 2008/early 2009.
For benchmark hospitals like St. Joseph's, research data shows among peer
groups:
-- patients stayed 10% fewer days;
-- average adjusted costs per admission were 12.5% lower;
-- survival rates were better by 13.9% for AMI patients; 11.1% for
congestive heart failure; 20.2% for bypass surgery; and 14.4% for
angioplasty;
-- the facilities averaged 45% more open heart surgeries than peer
hospitals.
St. Joseph's Hospital is a member of the HealthEast Care System, a
community-focused, non-profit health care system that provides innovative
technology, compassionate care, and a full spectrum of family health
services. HealthEast includes Bethesda Hospital, St. John's Hospital, St.
Joseph's Hospital and Woodwinds Health Campus as well as outpatient
services, clinics, pharmacies, home care, and transportation services.
Practicing financial responsibility, HealthEast is the largest,
locally owned health care organization in the Twin Cities' East Metro with
6,700 employees and 1,400 physicians on staff.
Contact Information: Contact:
Lynn Sadoff
651-326-3590
Email Contact