CARDIOLOGY: HCIA Ranks Top 100 Hospitals, CA Facilities Shine
A recent list of the nation's top 100 hospitals for angioplasty and open-heart surgery shows that while Florida has the most top programs, with 22 making the list, California is a close second with 19. Modern Healthcare reports that the Bay Area "stood out as a center for interventional cardiology, with seven facilities on the roster of 100 top angioplasty programs." Mt. Diablo Medical Center in Concord made both lists (Morrissey, 3/15 issue). Conducted by Baltimore-based HCIA Inc., the study was based on a computerized review and analysis of more than 12 million Medicare cases. The analysis rated such factors as length of stays, complications, mortality rates and cost. The 100 hospitals chosen for top bypass surgery programs had significantly lower mortality and complication rates, and case costs about $3,000 less than the national average. The top angioplasty facilities performed twice as many procedures, were 20% less expensive and had 50% fewer patients that needed bypass surgery in the future.
Standouts
Fourteen California institution were commended for their angioplasty performance, including Scripps Green Hospital in La Jolla, Stanford Medical Center, Bakersfield Memorial Hospital, El Camino Hospital in Mountain View, Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in San Francisco, Mercy General Hospital in Sacramento, Mt. Diablo Hospital Medical Center in Concord, Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System, San Joaquin Community Hospital in Bakersfield, Sequoia Hospital in Redwood City, St. Joseph's Medical Center of Stockton, Torrance Memorial Medical Center and Washington Hospital in Fremont. Five hospitals were named to the top 100 list for bypass surgery: Loma Linda University Medical Center, Eisenhower Medical Center of Rancho Mirage, Mt. Diablo Hospital Medical Center of Concord, Redding Medical Center and St. Agnes Medical Center of Fresno (HCIA study text, 3/8).