NSMC News Releases
North Shore Medical Center (NSMC) has been named among the nation’s 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals by Truven Health Analytics. Formerly the healthcare division of Thomson Reuters, Truven Health Analytics is a leading provider of information and analytics focused on the quality and cost of healthcare.
“NSMC’s cardiac program saves lives in a way no other North Shore hospital can,” says David Roberts, MD, chief of cardiology and chairman of medicine at NSMC. “This award recognizes our vital role and how hard we have worked to do it well. It is a great honor.”
For 10 years, NSMC has offered the only comprehensive heart center on the North Shore, and remains the only one to provide both cardiac surgery and full cardiac interventional services to treat heart conditions. The combination of care truly saves lives.
“When someone has a heart attack,” says Roberts, “the best thing that person can do is get to a hospital that offers both surgery and what we call PCI.” PCI stands for percutaneous coronary intervention, and involves opening a blocked artery with a tiny balloon and then inserting a stent into the area of the blockage to keep the artery open permanently. “PCI is our most effective treatment for heart attacks, and offers patients their best hope for survival.”
Additionally, as one of only three community hospitals in the Commonwealth to provide cardiac surgery, NSMC’s Heart Center truly provides an uncommon level of care for emergencies and other heart conditions. Patients who need bypass surgery, valve surgery, or other heart procedures have access minutes away and are able to remain in the community and close to friends and family.
“What we do here is unique to the North Shore,” says Ann Toran, MD, chief of cardiac surgery at NSMC. “Tributes like the Truven rankings speak to the caliber of our program and our commitment to providing exceptional care. “
“This year’s 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals have delivered excellent care in a time of sweeping change in the healthcare system," said Jean Chenoweth, senior vice president for performance improvement and the 100 Top Hospitals® program at Truven Health Analytics. “Their success is a testament to the strong focus by cardiologists, cardiovascular surgeons, and cardiovascular service administrators and staff on basic care and outcomes.”
If all cardiovascular providers in the U.S. performed at the level of this year's winners:
- 8,600 additional lives could be saved
- $1 billion could be saved
- 3,200 additional bypass and angioplasty patients could be complication-free
The Truven Health 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals study evaluates performance in key areas: risk-adjusted mortality, risk-adjusted complications, core measures (a group of measures that assess process of care), percentage of coronary bypass patients with internal mammary artery use, 30-day mortality rates, 30-day readmission rates, severity-adjusted average length of stay, and wage- and severity-adjusted average cost. The study is celebrating its fifteenth year and has been conducted annually since 1999.
Truven Health Analytics researchers analyzed 2011 and 2012 Medicare Provider Analysis and Review (MedPAR) data, 2012 Medicare cost reports, and 2013 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Compare data. The winning hospitals were announced in the November edition of Modern Healthcare magazine. More information on this study, research is available at www.100tophospitals.com
NSMC (North Shore Medical Center) is a multi-site health system headquartered in Salem, Mass., which includes NSMC Salem Hospital, NSMC Union Hospital in Lynn, MassGeneral for Children at North Shore Medical Center, NSMC Heart Center, NSMC Women’s Center and the physician network known as North Shore Physicians Group. NSMC and Massachusetts General Hospital together provide care at the Mass General/North Shore Center for Outpatient Care and the Mass General/North Shore Cancer Center in Danvers. NSMC is a member of Partners HealthCare, which was founded by Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. #northshoremed###