Hoag Hospital In Newport Beach Is Named One of the Nation's Top Cardiovascular Hospitals

In my opinion, one of the first items I want to know ahead of time is which hospitals have an interventional cardiologist or interventional radiologist available at any time. Not too long ago I had mentioned that UCI Irvine here in Orange County has one 24/7. Hoag Hospital is right up there with this recognition and has been adding new technology and care to the facility. Every room almost has an ocean view and is private, it has been that way there for many years. Just a few weeks ago I wrote about their state of the art tracking system for their ER Department. BD

Hoag Hospital Installs Hi-Tech Emergency Room Patient Tracking System – Orange County

Press Release:

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., Dec. 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Hoag Hospital has been named one of the nation's 100 Top Hospitals(R) for cardiovascular care by Thomson Reuters.

Thomson Reuters' annual study -- 100 Top Hospitals: Cardiovascular Benchmarks -- examined the performance of 971 hospitals by analyzing clinical outcomes for patients diagnosed with heart failure and heart attacks and for those who received coronary bypass surgery or percutaneous cardiovascular interventions (PCI) such as angioplasties.

"Cardiovascular disease is still the number-one killer in the United States so we look for the hospitals that provide the best care," said Jean Chenoweth, senior vice president for performance improvement and 100 Top Hospitals programs of Thomson Reuters. "These hospitals set the national standard for cardiovascular disease outcomes, process of care, efficiency, and lower costs. They deliver significant value to their communities."

The study, in its 11th year, found that the 100 Top Hospitals cardiovascular winners 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 -- 99 percent of patients were complication-free.

Close to 12 percent shorter average hospital stay.

12 percent lower cost per case.

"This is a great honor achieved by the hard work and dedication of not only Hoag Heart and Vascular Institute's physicians and nurses but Hoag Hospital's entire staff," commented Richard Afable, M.D., president and CEO of Hoag Hospital. "We continue to surpass national benchmarks and provide our patients with the highest possible level of care."

The 100 Top Hospitals study focused on short-term, acute care, non-federal U.S. hospitals that treat a broad spectrum of cardiac patients. Thomson Reuters researchers analyzed 2007 and 2008 Medicare Provider Analysis and Review (MedPAR) data, 2008 Medicare cost reports, and data from other sources. They scored hospitals in key performance areas: risk-adjusted medical mortality, risk-adjusted surgical mortality, risk-adjusted complications, core measures score, percentage of coronary bypass patients with internal mammary artery use, procedure volume, severity-adjusted average length of stay, and wage- and severity-adjusted average cost.

The measures were calculated for three classes of hospitals and Hoag was selected as one of 30 community hospital winners.

About Hoag Heart and Vascular Institute

Hoag Heart and Vascular Institute is Orange County's highest-volume, highest-rated cardiovascular program and one of the preeminent cardiovascular centers on the West Coast. With angioplasty and cardiac stent placement services available 24/7, and response times from the ER to the cardiac cath lab that are nearly 20 percent faster than the national average, Hoag is a proven leader in emergency heart care. Hoag Heart and Vascular Institute offers the latest in cardiovascular medicine with advanced and pioneering surgical techniques including minimally invasive heart surgery, ablation for treatment of arrhythmias, and coronary artery bypass surgery with endoscopic vein harvesting. Additionally, Hoag's valve surgery program is internationally recognized for expertise in complex valve surgery and mitral valve repair.

About Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian

Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian (www.hoaghospital.org) is a 498-bed, not-for-profit, acute care hospital located in Newport Beach, Calif. Fully accredited by the Joint Commission and designated as a Magnet hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), Hoag offers a comprehensive mix of health care services, including Centers of Excellence in cancer, heart and vascular, neurosciences, orthopedics and women's health. National Research Corporation has endorsed Hoag as Orange County's most preferred hospital for the past 14 consecutive years. And for an unprecedented 14 years, residents of Orange County have chosen Hoag as the county's best hospital in a local newspaper survey. In order to meet the growing needs of Irvine and South County residents, Hoag will open an Irvine campus in 2010. Hoag continues to offer additional services to the community through the seven Hoag Health Centers located throughout Orange County.