Sandra Atlas Bass Heart Hospital achieves nation's highest overall quality rating in cardiac surgery

MANHASSET, N.Y., Sept. 20, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Sandra Atlas Bass Heart Hospital at North Shore University Hospital (NSUH) has achieved three-star overall quality ratings ? the highest possible ranking ? in all five cardiac surgical categories analyzed by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS). Of approximately 992 cardiothoracic surgical programs that submitted their data to STS from the United States and Canada, NSUH is one of only three cardiac programs in the U.S. and the only one in New York State to receive the society's highest performance rating.

A nonprofit organization representing more than 7,600 surgeons, researchers and other health professionals worldwide, STS strives to ensure the best possible outcomes for surgeries of the heart, lungs, esophagus and other procedures within the chest by enhancing the ability of cardiothoracic surgeons to provide the highest quality of care through education, research and advocacy.

The STS star rating system is one of the most sophisticated and highly regarded overall measures of quality in health care, rating the benchmarked outcomes of cardiothoracic surgery programs in isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery, isolated aortic valve replacement (AVR) surgery, CABG + AVR surgery, isolated mitral valve replacement/repair (MVRR), and CABG + MVRR surgery.

"We are incredibly proud to be recognized by the STS for being one of three programs in the country, and the only one in New York State, to achieve the highest rating possible in all five categories," said Alan R. Hartman, MD, senior vice president and executive director of cardiovascular and thoracic surgery at Northwell Health. "Achieving a three-star, overall rating in all five cardiac surgery categories could only be made possible by the amazing work and selfless commitment our staff bring to the Sandra Atlas Bass Heart Hospital every day." 

Based on STS's stringent review, the outcomes of NSUH's cardiothoracic surgical service were benchmarked against the other 992 cardiac programs. The STS Adult Cardiac Surgery Report analyzed data from participants for all five cardiac surgical categories over a three-year period (January 2016-December 2018), the most recent reporting data period available. The ratings are calculated using a combination of quality measures for specific procedures.

Three other Northwell hospitals with cardiothoracic surgery programs also earned prestigious three-star quality overall ratings by STS: Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan earned a top rating for isolated CABG surgery and isolated MVRR surgery; Staten Island University Hospital earned a top rating for isolated CABG surgery; and Southside Hospital in Bay Shore distinguished itself for isolated AVR and CABG + AVR surgery.

"We are extremely proud of our colleagues at Southside, Lenox Hill and Staten Island for achieving the highest quality ratings by the STS in their respective cardiac surgical categories," said Dr. Hartman. "The superior ratings reflect the leadership, expertise and collaboration of our cardiac surgery teams in the region."

Dr. Hartman noted that participation in the STS adult cardiac surgery database is voluntary, highlighting the importance of Northwell's commitment to quality improvement and transparency of outcomes.  "Data on cardiothoracic surgical outcomes provides patients and their families with critical information to help them make the most-informed choices about their health care," he added.

The Sandra Atlas Bass Heart Hospital was recently recognized for being one of the nation's top 50 hospitals for cardiology and heart surgery by US News and World Report.

The STS Adult Cardiac Surgery Public Reporting summary, covering data analysis for the time period ending December 31, 2018, is available to the public on the society's website: https://publicreporting.sts.org/acsd

About Northwell Health
Northwell Health is New York State's largest health care provider and private employer, with 23 hospitals, about 750 outpatient facilities and more than 13,600 affiliated physicians. We care for over two million people annually in the New York metro area and beyond, thanks to philanthropic support from our communities. Our 70,000 employees ? 16,000-plus nurses and 4,000 employed doctors, including members of Northwell Health Physician Partners ? are working to change health care for the better. We're making breakthroughs in medicine at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research. We're training the next generation of medical professionals at the visionary Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell and the Hofstra Northwell School of Graduate Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies. For information on our more than 100 medical specialties, visit Northwell.edu and follow us @NorthwellHealth on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

SOURCE North Shore University Hospital