IBM Watson Health and Fortune have published their list of the top cardiovascular hospitals in the United States. Did your facility make the cut?
The 2021 Fortune/IBM Watson Health 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals list was developed with an eye on both patient outcomes and effective management techniques that don’t break the bank. Nearly 1,000 U.S. hospitals with inpatient cardiovascular services were considered.
“Heart disease still remains the leading cause of death for all Americans and has a disproportionate impact on communities of color, rural populations and other underserved groups,” Kyu Rhee, chief health officer of IBM Watson Health, said in a statement. “In this light, cardiovascular care with an emphasis on health equity is essential. The exceptional organizations on the Fortune/IBM Watson Health 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals list are setting the standard for high quality, efficient, patient-centric care for heart disease. We believe that these top institutions are leading the effort to enhance and evolve the way we treat and prevent this disease.”
The ranking, which can be read in full here, is a part of IBM Watson Health’s 100 Top Hospitals Program. If all Medicare inpatients received high-quality care similar to what the winning hospitals provide, according to IBM Watson Health, it would save more than 7,000 lives and $1.6 billion in healthcare costs.
Multiple hospitals included in this year’s ranking are also part of the American Heart Association (AHA) Get with the Guidelines (GWTG) program, which puts an emphasis on boosting patient care through evidence-based care guidelines.
“After 20 years of quality improvement with our GWTG programs, we know that patient outcomes improve when medical professionals follow the most up-to-date, evidence-based guidelines,” said Eduardo Sanchez, the AHA’s chief medical officer for prevention. “Studies have shown that consistent use of these guidelines increases survival rates and lowers patients' risk of ending up back in the hospital. The AHA recognition program helps identify hospitals that meet guidelines-based standards for the treatment of stroke, heart failure and heart attack, establishing a way for professionals and patients alike to have a trusted, transparent view of the daily efforts to adhere to the latest science in scenarios for every patient.”
Michael has more than 16 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.