MADISON, Wis. – University Hospital was recently named among the nation’s top performing cardiovascular hospitals by Fortune/IBM Watson Health. This is the 12th consecutive year that University Hospital has been recognized for providing some of the best cardiac care in the country.
The IBM Watson Health 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals study is an annual, objective, quantitative study that identifies the nation’s best providers of cardiovascular care, based on publicly available data and a balanced look at clinical, operational, and financial performance metrics. This year’s winners were selected from more than 950 U.S. hospitals with cardiovascular service lines and were recognized for superior clinical outcomes in key performance areas, including the following comparisons with a peer group of similar hospitals:
- Significantly higher inpatient survival (14.7% to 48.0% higher)
- Fewer patients with complications (10.9% to 11.1% fewer)
- Higher 30-day survival rates for acute myocardial infarction, heart failure and coronary artery bypass grafting patients (0.3 to 0.6 percentage points higher)
- $1,411 to $6,408 less in total costs per patient case
“We are honored once again to be named among the best cardiovascular hospitals in the nation,” said Ric Ransom, president, UW Hospitals – Madison Region. “This distinction reflects not only our dedication to the health and wellbeing of the people and communities we serve, but to UW Health’s ongoing commitment to increasing our own performance standards and advancing the field of cardiovascular care.”
Based on the methodology used by IBM Watson Health, the study concludes that if all United States hospitals’ cardiovascular service lines performed at the level of these study winners, some 6,400 additional lives and roughly $1.4 billion could be saved, and 5,000 additional bypass and angioplasty patients could be complication-free.
“Despite the challenges of COVID-19, the hospitals recognized on the Fortune/IBM Watson Health 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals list are providing quality care in one of the most critical areas,” said Ekta Punwani, 100 Top Hospitals Program Leader, IBM Watson Health. “Hospitals are constantly working to improve clinical and operational performance, and the exceptional organizations on this list demonstrate the standard for top performing cardiac care. Their benchmarks serve as a real-world checkpoint for cardiovascular care across the U.S.”
Fortune/IBM Watson Health 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals study uses independent and objective research to analyze cardiovascular hospital performance in clinical and operational areas addressing inpatient and 30-day mortality, patient complications, 30-day readmission, average length of stay, 30-day episode-of-care payment, and adjusted cost per case, for acute myocardial infarction, coronary artery bypass graft, percutaneous coronary intervention and heart failure patients. The study has been conducted annually since 1998. The full report can be found at www.ibm.com/products/50-top-
