Cardiac Report Card — Columbia St. Mary’s Makes the Grade

Francis Downey, M.D., Cardiothoracic Surgeon, Columbia St. Mary’s

Posted: March 1, 2007

While hospitals and physicians have long reviewed and analyzed the outcome of medical treatment as a means for improving patient care, the idea of making a formal “report card” available to the general public for review is still a relatively new concept.

Heart patients and their loved ones should take an interest in grading systems for cardiac services to make sure they’re receiving the highest quality care available. In general, cardiac care is graded on several factors, including mortality (or survival) rates, the rate of complications (such as stroke, bleeding and abnormal heart rhythms), length of hospital stay, patient satisfaction and cost comparisons for major cardiac procedures. Hospitals generally compare these statistics against the national average and other area hospitals that offer similar cardiac services.

For the past several years, Columbia St. Mary’s has delivered lower than expected mortality rates as set by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons and CareScience, a division of Quovadx, a nationally recognized organization that assists hospitals in providing clinical analysis, clinical quality improvement solutions and care management to optimize patient outcomes. Columbia St. Mary’s also reports shorter hospital stays for its cardiac patients compared to the national average, as well as lower costs for various heart procedures.

In Columbia St. Mary’s most recent cardiac patient quality report, which refers to data compiled from July 1, 2004 through June 30, 2005, nearly 80 percent of cardiac bypass surgery patients rated their quality of care at the hospital as exceptional. That satisfaction rating translates into the 91st percentile rank when compared to a national database of over 900 hospitals across the United States compiled by Press Ganey, the nation’s leading vendor of health care satisfaction measurement and improvement services.

In addition to the overall satisfaction of its cardiac patients, Columbia St. Mary’s reported lower costs compared to other Milwaukee hospitals for major heart procedures, including bypass surgery, permanent pacemaker implementation and angioplasty.

A commitment to quality service and use of the most advanced treatments available has enabled Columbia St. Mary’s to turn in consistently high marks compared to other Milwaukee hospital systems, as well as the national hospital average, for providing the best possible cardiac care.

Prospective heart patients and their families can access statistical information for major cardiac care services via Web sites that publish health care report card information for consumers. Two independent national research organizations are HealthGrades.com and ConsumerHealthRatings.com.


To order a copy of the Columbia St. Mary’s 2007 Cardiac Patient Quality Report, click here.


Francis Downey, M.D.
Cardiothoracic Surgeon
Columbia St. Mary’s
414-326-1745

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