Parma Community General Hospital has been named one of the nation's 100 Top Hospitals® for cardiovascular care by Thomson Reuters. Winners named to this prestigious list have shorter, less costly hospital stays with fewer complications, according to the study based on analysis of publicly available data over the past two years.

This comprehensive study evaluated nearly 1,000 short-term, acute care, non-federal hospitals nationwide and examined outcomes for patients who have received coronary artery bypass surgery or percutaneous cardiovascular interventions (PCI) such as angioplasties or patient with heart failure and heart attacks. 

“Our heart program is a shining example of how our unique brand of excellent, personalized care yields outstanding results,” said Patricia A. Ruflin, president & chief executive officer of Parma Community General Hospital. “It’s nice to receive national recognition for our high standard of care that is well known in the local community.” 

The study, now in its 11th year, found that winners in the 100 Top Hospitals for cardiovascular outcomes have:

• 17 percent lower mortality rates for heart attack patients.
• 10 percent lower mortality rates for heart failure patients.
• 27 percent lower mortality for bypass surgery patients.
• 22 percent lower mortality following PCI.
• Fewer post-operative complications.
• Close to 12 percent shorter hospital stays.
• 12 percent lower costs per case.

“Our cardiologists’ commitment to the care of cardiovascular patients and the performance of coronary interventions in both acute and elective procedures continues to place Parma Hospital among the nation’s top hospitals,” says Christine Zirafi, MD, medical director of the Cardiac Catheterization Lab. “We are pleased to see that we continue to outperform our peers in cardiac interventions and care.”

The study reviewed publicly available 2007 and 2008 Medicare MedPAR data and 2008 Medicare cost reports. Thomson Reuters scored facilities in eight key performance areas: risk-adjusted medical mortality, risk-adjusted surgical mortality, risk-adjusted complications, core measures (a group of measures that assess process of care), percentage of CABG patients with internal mammary artery use, procedure volume, severity-adjusted average length of stay, and wage- and severity-adjusted average cost. 

"These hospitals provide balanced high performances across cardiovascular services," said Jean Chenoweth, senior vice president for performance improvement and 100 Top Hospitals programs at Thomson Reuters. "This means they are providing high quality and highly efficient services at a reasonable cost in comparison to peers across the United States.”

The measures were calculated for three classes of hospitals, including 30 community hospitals, 30 teaching hospitals with cardiovascular residency programs and 40 teaching hospitals without cardiovascular residency programs.