The Frances Langford Heart Center at Martin Memorial has been saving lives since opening its doors in August 2006. In November 2010, it received national recognition for the care patients receive at the heart center.
Martin Memorial Medical Center was named one of the nation’s 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals in an annual study by Thomson Reuters. Selected from more than 1,000 hospitals across the United States, winners of this prestigious award provide “top-notch cardiovascular care” according to results from an exhaustive analysis.
“One of the reasons Martin Memorial earned this award is the dedication to patient care,” said Richard S. Blankenbaker, M.D., an interventional cardiologist on staff at Martin Memorial. “From the time the patient arrives until the time the patient is discharged, our focus is on improving the patient’s quality of life.”
Martin Memorial was one of just six hospitals in Florida named to the list, and the only hospital on the Treasure Coast to be honored.
“We are fortunate to have incredible cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons, who work closely with our clinical staff at the Frances Langford Heart Center to provide exceptional cardiovascular care to residents of the Treasure Coast,” said Mark E. Robitaille, president and chief executive officer of Martin Memorial.
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(l-r) Dr. Stephen McIntyre, interventional cardiologist; Dr. James Thornton, cardiothoracic surgeon; Dr. Michael Crouch, cardiothoracic surgeon; and Dr. Richard Blankenbaker, interventional cardiologist. |
Martin Memorial partners with cardiologists at Cardiology Associates of Stuart, Stuart Cardiology Group and Florida Heart Center. It also is associated with the Ocala Heart Institute for open-heart surgeries.
“Martin Memorial has had a successful cardiovascular program for the past five years, I think because of the cooperation between the cardiovascular team, involving both the cardiologists and the cardiovascular surgeons,” said Stephen E. McIntyre, M.D., an interventional cardiologist on staff at Martin Memorial.
The Thomson Reuters study shows that 96 percent of cardiovascular inpatients survive and approximately 93 percent remain complication-free, indicative of improved cardiovascular care across the board over the past decade. The 50 top hospitals’ performance surpasses these high-water marks as indicated by:
• Better risk-adjusted survival rates (33 percent fewer deaths than non-winning hospitals for bypass surgery).
• Lower complications indices (21 percent lower for heart failure complications).
• Fewer patients readmitted to the hospital in the 30 days following discharge.
• Shorter hospital visits and lower costs. Top hospitals discharge heart patients a half day sooner and spend $1,300 less per case than non-winners.
The study evaluated general and applicable specialty, short-term, acute care, non-federal U.S. hospitals treating a broad spectrum of cardiology patients.
Thomson Reuters researchers analyzed 2008 and 2009 Medicare Provider Analysis and Review data, Medicare cost reports, and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Hospital Compare data. They scored hospitals in key performance areas: risk-adjusted mortality, risk-adjusted complications, core measures (a group of measures that assess process of care), percentage of coronary bypass patients with internal mammary artery use, 30-day mortality rates, 30-day readmission severity-adjusted average length of stay, and wage- and severity-adjusted average cost.
“We know that to have achieved this honor was very much a system approach, a team approach to the care of the patient,” said James C. Thornton, MD, a cardiothoracic surgeon on staff with Martin Memorial. “That quality of care includes the nursing staff and the administrative staff, which results in better outcomes for our patients.”
The success of the heart center also made a big difference in the community’s cardiovascular health. That includes quality outcomes, access to heart services close to home, as well as community education programs that seek to provide information that can help prevent heart disease.
“I hope it gives a lot of peace to the people here knowing we have a program in this town that is as good as any program in the country,” said F. Michael Crouch, M.D., a cardiothoracic surgeon on staff at Martin Memorial. “I’ve talked to patients who have wondered whether they should go to Boston, Baltimore, New York to have heart surgery. Now I can really show them that no, you do not need to leave to get outstanding cardiovascular care.”
