PeaceHealth earns top rating for cardiothoracic surgery program

PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center in Bellingham earned a three-star rating from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons for its patient care and outcomes in cardiothoracic surgery, the healthcare provider announced in a press release. The three-star rating is the highest that The Society of Thoracic Surgeons awards.

The Foundation of Health Care Quality and Cardiac Care Outcomes Assessment Program also recently recognized PeaceHealth’s cardiothoracic surgery program as a top-performing program in July, according to a press release from PeaceHealth.

“Achieving the best possible patient outcomes can be a challenge for cardiothoracic surgery programs around the country due to the complexity of the surgery, and the stretch goal of a three-star quality award ranking is an incredible accomplishment that puts PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center in the top decile among reporting health care organizations,” said Paul Connor, medical director of Cardiovascular Services at PeaceHealth St. Joseph. “This superior rating reflects the world-class expertise and collaboration of our cardiac surgery team.”

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons ratings are calculated using a combination of metrics for specific procedures. PeaceHealth, in the press release, calls the ratings “one of the most sophisticated and highly regarded overall measures of quality in health care.”

Thoracic surgery includes surgery for tumors and other diseases of the lung and thorax area, according to PeaceHealth’s website. Cardiac surgery includes coronary artery bypass surgery, heart valve replacement and repair, surgery for arrhythmias (problems with the heartbeat’s rate or rhythm) and transmyocardial laser revascularization, a procedure that improves the flow of oxygen to the heart.

For more information about PeaceHealth’s cardiothoracic surgery program, visit bit.ly/3eMXCbS.