SARASOTA (Feb. 26, 2018) – Sarasota Memorial Hospital is one of only three cardiac programs in the United States and Canada that earned the highest 3-Star rating from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons for patient care and outcomes in all five of the adult cardiac surgery procedures STS measured in its latest analysis:

• Isolated Coronary Artery Bypass (CABG)
• Isolated Aortic Valve Replacement (AVR)
• AVR + CABG
• Isolated Mitral Valve Replacement/Repair (MVRR)
• MVRR + CABG

The 3-star ratings, which denote the highest category of quality, place SMH’s cardiac surgery team among the top performers of more than 1,000 cardiothoracic surgeons and cardiac surgery groups voluntarily submitting case records to the STS Adult Cardiac Surgery Database for analysis and comparison with benchmarking data for quality improvement initiatives. The latest analysis of data spans three years: CABG (July 2016-June 2017); AVR, AVR/CABG, MVRR and MVRR/CABG (July 2014-June 2017).

The STS star rating system is one of the most sophisticated and highly regarded overall measures of quality in healthcare, rating the outcomes of cardiac surgery programs in the United States and Canada, along with a growing number of international participants. Only three participating hospitals achieved the 3-Star ratings across the board, according to the January 2018 results reported by STS.

“February is American Heart Month, and there is no better time for us to take stock of our heart health,” Sarasota Memorial CEO David Verinder said. “Our community and cardiac team have much to be proud of. Achieving 3-star ratings in all of the adult cardiac procedures STS measures places us among the top heart hospitals in the nation.”

The STS National Database was established in 1989 as an initiative for quality improvement and patient safety among cardiothoracic surgeons. The database houses more than 6 million surgical records and gathers information from more than 3,700 participating physicians, including surgeons and anesthesiologists from more than 90 percent of the US hospitals that perform heart surgery.

“The Society of Thoracic Surgeons congratulates STS National Database participants who have received 3-Star ratings,” said David M. Shahian, MD, chair of the STS Council on Quality, Research and Patient Safety. “Participation in the database and public reporting demonstrates a commitment to quality improvement in healthcare delivery and provides patients and their families with meaningful information to help them make informed decisions about healthcare.”