Top 50 Cardiology hospitals 2011 report

[kailin]

First time poster here -- very VERY grateful for all I'm learning by reading your posts!

Thomson Reuters published a report naming the top 50 cardiology hospitals based on statistical information.

Press Release from Nov 2010

This link will download a pdf of the full report including the methods they used

I'm still doing testing, 3rd echo was today since 1 year ago, Will need BAV.

I guess my question is, how important is the hospital where you get your surgery?

I just moved to this New England area, and really none of the current top 50 are nearby. Is it more important to find a nearby hospital for rehab care, and so on, or more important to get to one of the more highly rated hospitals? I'm right now with a brand new family doctor, who referred me to a surgeon, who referred me back to a cardiologist. I'm a little nervous because they are all new to me, as of January of this year.

The closest one in the report to me, but only in the top 100, not the top 50, is Dartmouth. Or, maybe Massachusetts. Anybody have any experience with hospitals in New England, or advice? Would have like to go to Mayo in Phoenix where I have family living, but they're not taking any new Medicare patients in Arizona

 

[mainframe]

Boston has alot of really good hospitals. Mass General and Brigham Womens are often mentioned. Looking at the results I'm thinking that the criteria

Shorter hospital visits and lower costs. Top hospitals discharge heart patients a half day sooner and spend $1,300 less per case than non-winners.

has alot to do with the selection. I'm not convinced. I'm just glad Stanford wasn't overly concerned about saving a few bucks on my case, which went over the 1 million dollar mark.

 

[Lynlw]

I've looked at that list before, Its a rather interesting list and seems kind of off to me..for example mayo phoenix ranked higher than their main center? (ok I see that is alphabetical, but still not real impressed with the list or how they chose) and quite a few centers I've never heard of and most likely would not go, but many of the ones I think are very good, aren't listed. I know Pa heart hospitals VERY well and none of the hospitals would be the ones I would use in Pa, that usually are ranked high in the US news, but mostly because they are involved in all the leading research, have the MOST experience with complex surgeries etc.. The same with hospitals listed and NOT listed in Mass.

Maybe because they're ranking "performance of 1,022 hospitals by analyzing outcomes for patients with heart failure and heart attacks and for those who received coronary bypass surgery and percutaneous coronary interventions such as angioplasties" and seem to rely alot on cost.

where US News does its rankings "a hospital is listed only if at least 1,244 inpatients who needed a high level of expertise in this specialty were treated there in 2006, 2007, and 2008" also I like that Us news ask specialist where THEY would send the complex cases. http://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/rankings/heart-and-heart-surgery

As which hospital to go to. make sure they have alot of experience in what YOU need.
New England is kind of broad, But there are a very VERY good ones in Boston, Mass general, Brigham etc.

 

[Bill B]

Yes, the criteria seem to favor community centers that do simple procedures on relatively uncomplicated patients, not what Chris had done or even me. Like my community cardiologist said, "We refer our more complicated cases to Stanford." Buried in the methodology they have some remarks that the data is risk-adjusted. I would suggest that failed. Chris might be one of the patients that kept Stanford off the list even though their heroic efforts saved his life.

Note that the Cleveland Clinic (main campus) is not a "winner" this year, while its satellite center in Florida is. The Cleveland Clinic hasn't been on the "winner" list in 4 out of the last 5 years. Better stay away from there! It's not even in the top 50 anymore. The ONLY hospital that has been a "winner" all 12 years is Morton Plant Hospital in Clearwater, Florida. Interesting. Perhaps for the much more numerous routine cases of chronic angina or hypertension, this report makes sense.

 

[kailin]

Thanks, helpful comments

Thanks, helpful comments

I can see what you mean about the economic angle -- that fits with the Thomson Reuters who I believe also do a lot of business analyses.

The lists of questions you all have put together here will be the most important key, I suppose.

In a few days will try to start getting more of those answers. And see what results of echo are from today.

Likely you'll be hearing more questions from me, though!

 

[Bryan B]

I was thinking the same as the others. Your list does not seem as relevant (for us anyway) than the list from US News & World Report that ranks heart hospitals that do everything from a relatively simple bypass to heart transplants and other complicated surgeries. I'll stick with News & World and Report's list. Of course my hospital is ranked 9th (they have slipped from 3rd when I had my first surgery there in 2004) so I may be a bit biased. But they do a lot of high risk surgeries there so of course their mortality rate is going to be higher. I just don't see how ANY of the hospitals ranked in the top 10 in the nation in News & World Report aren't even listed in Thomson Reuters.

http://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/rankings/heart-and-heart-surgery

Kailin...go with the US News & World Report list if you need valve surgery or something more complicated (like disease of the aorta). They list the top 100 heart hospitals based on overall performance in all types of heart surgery regardless of cost. Surely one of these hospitals are close enough for you to consider. Depending on where you are in NE UMass and B&Y may be the best if you are further north in NE. If further south then I would consider some of the NY hospitals. There are so many outstanding hospitals in the NE area I'm sure one of the very best is not too far from you. Since I live 30ish minutes from Duke I would never go anywhere else. My second choice would be Wake Forest Baptist Health in Winston-Salem (both in NC). If I thought I needed better care than these hospitals could provide for some reason my top 3 choices would be Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic or Mt Sinai (to have Dr. Paul Stelzer perform my surgery).

 

[ALCapshaw2]

If I remember correctly, Mass. General Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital were consistently in the Top Ten of Heart Hospitals in the U.S. News Rankings, behind Cleveland Clinic and Mayo Clinic.

And YES, you want to be careful to choose a Hospital where the Surgeons and STAFF have LOTS of Experience with the procedure YOU will need. How confident would you feel about your after-care in a hospital where 90+% of their Heart Surgery Patients received (relatively simple) Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery?

FYI, BAV stands for a BiCuspid Aortic Valve. It is NOT a 'procedure' that you would "need" or receive.
I suspect that you meant to say you would need "AVR" (Aortic Valve Replacement).

'AL Capshaw'

 

[Lynlw]

I just want to make sure you saw this thread I posted the other day incase its helpful for you http://www.valvereplacement.org/forums/showthread.php?37855-US-News-Best-hospitals-by-Metro

US News for the first time ranked the best hospitals by city..the main link goes to a big map you can click on the closest major city and it list the top centers, I'll use Boston as the example http://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/area/boston-ma
but you can then go/click on by specialty. http://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/area/boston-ma/specialty It doesn't say how a hospitals is ranked nationwide, but there is a gold ball for centers ranked "best in the nation" for that specialty or a silver ball is they are very good.

 

[Jkm7]

<snip>

Kalin...


I guess my question is, how important is the hospital where you get your surgery?

I just moved to this New England area, and really none of the current top 50 are nearby. Is it more important to find a nearby hospital for rehab care, and so on, or more important to get to one of the more highly rated hospitals? I'm right now with a brand new family doctor, who referred me to a surgeon, who referred me back to a cardiologist. I'm a little nervous because they are all new to me, as of January of this year.

The closest one in the report to me, but only in the top 100, not the top 50, is Dartmouth. Or, maybe Massachusetts. Anybody have any experience with hospitals in New England, or advice? Would have like to go to Mayo in Phoenix where I have family living, but they're not taking any new Medicare patients in Arizona

I had both my OHS at Mass General In Boston. It and Brigham and Womens are always listed in the top ten heart centers for the country.

It is very important which hospital and surgeon you choose, IMO.
A great surgeon at a great hospital has great support staff and competent nursing staff etc The surgeons work their magic and bless them for it but it is the nurses who get us well. Their care is critical

Being in New England, you have access to hospitals to which many people world wide travel for their heart surgeries.
As to Rehab after, I went directly home with my husband from the hospital both times and the vast majority of us do that. There are some who transition through a rehab facility but far more do not.