University of Maryland Prince George’s Hospital Center’s Cardiac Surgery Program Achieves Highest Level Quality Rating for Third Consecutive Period
Program performing among top 10 percent nationwide
The Cardiac Surgery Program at University of Maryland Prince George’s Hospital Center (UM PGHC) has, for the third consecutive reporting period, earned national recognition from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) for the quality of its Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG) procedure. CABG, often referred to as “cabbage,” is the most common type of open heart surgery, improving blood flow to the heart by bypassing clogged arteries.
UM PGHC’s Cardiac Surgery Program received a “3-star” rating from STS which is the highest available rating and achieved by only 10 percent of the 964 hospitals ranked nationwide during the most recent reporting period. In addition to earning high quality ratings, the program has also achieved consistently high patient satisfaction scores and a lower than average hospital stay of five days instead of six.
Since re-launching a cardiac surgery program in 2014 under a partnership with the University of Maryland Medical System, and the University of Maryland School of Medicine, UM PGHC has performed nearly 300 procedures for local patients who had previously needed to travel outside the county for heart surgery. CABG is one of the many procedures and treatments provided by UM PGHC’s Cardiac Surgery Program.
“We are proud that our team has once again been recognized for our efforts in providing high-quality cardiac surgery with excellent outcomes for patients who come to us seeking lifesaving care,” said Jamie Brown, MD, a cardiothoracic surgeon who serves as director of cardiac surgery at UM PGHC and associate professor of surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. “Patients are benefitting from successful procedures with shorter amounts of time spent in the hospital, leading to recovery from heart disease and an improved quality of life.”
The STS has developed a comprehensive rating system to drive quality and safety improvements based on a national database which accounts for factors including mortality, morbidity, and medications. A “3 star” rating score indicates that University of Maryland Prince George’s Hospital Center’s performance is statistically significantly better than the national STS average for the CABG procedure.
Coronary artery bypass grafting is a procedure performed to treat coronary artery disease, which is the narrowing and blockage of coronary arteries. Symptoms of coronary artery disease may include chest pain, jaw or arm pain, shortness of breath and nausea. CABG uses healthy blood vessels from elsewhere in the body, like the inside of the chest wall, or veins from the leg to bypass the blockages in your arteries and create new blood flow beyond the blocked arteries. The surgery can lower the risk of a heart attack and improve the function of the heart.
About University of Maryland Capital Region Health
Providing primary and specialty health care services to Prince George’s County and the neighboring area, University of Maryland Capital Region Health was established in September 2017 upon the formal affiliation of the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) and the former Dimensions Healthcare System. University of Maryland Capital Region Health operates the University of Maryland Prince George’s Hospital Center in Cheverly, University of Maryland Laurel Medical Center, University of Maryland Bowie Health Campus, and the University of Maryland Family Health & Wellness Center in Suitland. University of Maryland School of Medicine (SOM) faculty direct several University of Maryland Capital Region Health clinical programs, including anesthesiology, critical care, emergency medicine, neonatology, orthopaedics and vascular surgery, and the State’s second-busiest Trauma Center. University of Maryland School of Medicine faculty also lead the highly-regarded cardiac surgery program at UM Prince George’s Hospital Center. A new state-of-the-art regional medical center is expected to open in Largo in 2021. For more information, visit http://www.umcapitalregion.org/
About the Society of Thoracic Surgeons
The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) is a not-for-profit organization that represents more than 7,400 surgeons, researchers, and allied health care professionals worldwide who are dedicated to ensuring the best possible outcomes for surgeries of the heart, lung, and esophagus, as well as other surgical procedures within the chest. The Society’s mission is to enhance the ability of cardiothoracic surgeons to provide the highest quality patient care through education, research, and advocacy. www.sts.org