Genesis, Davenport presented national award for Top 50 heart care

March 23, 2011

Quad Cities-area residents, take heart: One of the nation's 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals is right here in Davenport, Iowa.

As announced last November, Genesis Medical Center, Davenport was the only hospital in Iowa and the region to make the 2011 list by Thomson Reuters.

But what is the award's significance to heart patients and the region?

"The Top 50 award  means that in cardiovascular surgery and cardiovascular medicine, this community is benefiting from some of the best care in the whole country," said Jean Chenoweth, Senior Vice President for Performance Improvement at Thomson Reuters, based in Ann Arbor, Mich.

 

"Patients can feel comfortable that in Davenport, Iowa, they are receiving nationally benchmarked, quality care for the treatment of cardiovascular disease -- both medically and surgically. This is a tremendous value to your community -- delivered to each family and each patient."

 Chenoweth visited the Genesis Heart Institute on Wednesday for a celebration and award presentation attended by staff who provide nationally recognized care to Genesis heart patients.

 The 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals deliver higher survival rates, shorter hospital stays, fewer re-admissions and lower costs.  As a result, everyone benefits: patients, families, employers, insurers and the hospital itself, she said.

  "This award is about the kind of care we give, and it is my pleasure to be part of an organization that's nationally recognized," said Julie Manas, President of Genesis Medical Center, Davenport.  "As our President and CEO Doug Cropper continues to remind us: 'It's not about going after the awards...it's about going after quality and patient safety.' The awards, the care and the outcomes follow that."

 

To be named among the nation's elite in heart care is the result of everyone at Genesis who touches the lives of heart patients -- from physicians, nurses and therapists to environmental and food service staff, she added.

Thomson Reuters examined the performance of 1,022 hospitals by analyzing patient outcomes for heart failure, heart attacks, coronary bypass surgery and percutaneous coronary interventions, such as angioplasty.

 

"There are 23 metrics that Thomson Reuters reviewed, including mortality, morbidity, complication and re-admission rates," said Craig Sommers, Executive Director of the Genesis Heart Institute. "You have to provide perfect care for all heart patients who come in to Genesis to really achieve a Top 50  ranking in the country. That doesn't happen without all the support of our physicians and staff who make sure we provide the best possible care for our patients."

The study, now in its 12th year, for the first time singled out 50 hospitals rather than the traditional practice of naming 100 winners.

"We've chosen a more elite group of winners," Chenoweth explained. "The reason we reduced the number of hospitals is wonderful news for everyone: The quality of care for cardiovascular patients has risen across the country. As a consequence, we've reduced the number of benchmark hospitals...making it more difficult to win and more importantly, to make the benchmarks more actionable. By doing so, Genesis Medical Center, Davenport is now the example of excellence for others to improve their care."

The Top 50 list included prestigious institutions like Cleveland Clinic Florida and Mayo Clinic.

Chenoweth concluded: "Patients can be assured Genesis is an organization that practices performance improvement on an ongoing basis in cardiovascular services. It's a better value to the patient and to everyone in the whole community."

 

                                                                         --- By Linda Barlow, Genesis