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Heart Hospital Among 100 Top Hospitals for Cardiovascular Care

TUCSON, Ariz. - (Nov. 30, 2009) — Carondelet Health Network is proud to announce that Tucson Heart Hospital has won the Thomson Reuters 100 Top Hospitals Award. This prestigious recognition comes as a result of a national, data-driven assessment of health care organizations.

In all, 971 U.S. hospitals were evaluated. The award recipients are based on an analysis of the nation's top providers, using two years' worth of industry data. The study assessed the 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 No. 1 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 program 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."

This award recognizes Tucson Heart Hospital's commitment to providing focused and effective treatment using advanced diagnostic and screening tools and the most innovative procedures available to patients in Tucson and across Southern Arizona. Tucson Heart was also named a Thomson Reuter's Top 100 Hospital for Cardiovascular Care in 2007.

"This could not have been accomplished without the hard work and dedication of our associates and physicians. They are committed to serving our patients in a comfortable, compassionate environment with the very best in technology, cardiovascular treatment and monitoring," said Tucson Heart Hospital CEO Odette Bolano, RN, MHA, FACHE. "It's wonderful to receive national accolades for our accomplishments but, truly, providing this level of care is not just our expectation, it is our mission," she added.

The Thomson Reuters study, now in its 11th year, found that the 100 Top Hospital 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 rates for bypass surgery patients
• 22 percent lower mortality rates 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

To qualify for this award, hospitals achieved high scores across eight equally weighted performance criteria that reflect the use of evidence-based medicine, superior clinical outcomes, high procedure volume, great efficiency and reasonable cost, according to Thomson Reuters. Tucson Heart Hospital will be presented with its award at the 2010 100 Top Hospitals Summit in Dana Point, California, June 9-11, 2010.

"Throughout Carondelet Health Network, we honor and celebrate Tucson Heart Hospital's 100 Top Hospitals award and are greatly encouraged that national recognition of this caliber for a Carondelet hospital reflects to the entire country our commitment to our mission and our patients," stated Ruth W. Brinkley, FACHE, President and CEO of Carondelet Health Network.

The 100 Top Hospitals study focused on short-term, acute care, non-federal U.S. hospitals that treat a broad spectrum of cardiology 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 rated hospitals in the following 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, with the following number of winners in each:

• Teaching with cardiovascular residency programs, 30 winners
• Teaching without cardiovascular residency programs, 40 winners
• Community, 30 winners (including Tucson Heart Hospital)

For more information on Carondelet Health Network and the many programs and services provided at Carondelet St. Joseph's Hospital, Carondelet St. Mary's Hospital, Tucson Heart Hospital, Holy Cross Hospital in Nogales and through Carondelet Medical Group, please visit www.carondelet.org.