Heart Hospital of Austin has been listed as Five-Star Rated for Valve Surgery and Heart Failure according to a report released today by HealthGrades, a national, independent source of physician information and hospital quality outcomes. The HealthGrades report found that patients treated at “five-star rated” hospitals experience a 73% lower risk of mortality and a 63% lower risk of complications.

HeartHospital of Austin also received the distinctive honor of being named the No. 1 Cardiology Program in 2010. Additionally, it was ranked No. 1 in Texas for Overall Cardiac Services by HealthGrades for six consecutive years.

“We are pleased to continue this longstanding tradition of excellence in providing exceptional cardiovascular care to patients in Central Texas and beyond,” David Laird, chief executive officer of Heart Hospital of Austin, said. “This distinction reflects the commitment of the physicians, nurses and staff members at Heart Hospital ofAustin in achieving the best possible medical outcomes for our patients.”

A quality comparison of doctors and hospitals in the Austin market can be found online at HealthGrades.com.

“Patients today have a wide array of options when it comes to choosing a health care provider,” Kerry Hicks, chief executive officer of HealthGrades, said. “At HealthGrades, we are proud to have led the way for empowering patient choice based on objective clinical outcomes and access to actionable quality measures. We commend Heart Hospital of Austin for its superior quality and support of consumerism and transparency in the Austin area.”

According the HealthGrades report, Heart Hospital of Austin is:

• The only hospital in the region (defined as the Austin/Round Rock/San Marcos core-based statistical area) to be rated “Five Star for Valve Surgery” for 2012.
• The best in the region for valve surgery for 2012.
• The only hospital in the region to be rated Five-Star for Heart Failure for 10 years in a row (2003-2012).

Key findings of the HealthGrades 2011 Healthcare Consumerism and Hospital Quality in America report include:

• Patients had, on average, a 73% lower risk of dying in a five-star rated hospital compared to a one-star rated hospital, and a 54% lower risk of dying in a five-star rated hospital compared to the national average.
• Patients, on average, were 63% less likely to experience in-hospital complications than patients at one-star programs, and they had a 43% lower chance of developing an in-hospital complication than the national average.
• If all Medicare patients from 2008 through 2010 had been treated at five-star hospitals, 240,040 lives could have potentially been saved.
• If all Medicare patients from 2008 through 2010 had gone to 5-star hospitals for their procedures, 164,472 in-hospital complications could have potentially been avoided.

Information on overall hospital quality for 13 major medical specialties, as well as the top five most searched medical specialties by patients in Austin, Texas, can be found online at http://www.topcities.healthgrades.com/ratings/austin-tx.

Heart Hospital of Austin

Specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease, Heart Hospital of Austin is a shared vision of local cardiologists and cardiovascular surgeons. Working with hospital leadership, the physicians created an atmosphere of quality, resulting in the leading cardiac program in Texas for six consecutive years as ranked by HealthGrades®—a leading independent health ratings organization. In July 2009, a study funded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services revealed that Heart Hospital of Austin was the leading hospital in the United States for treatment of a heart attack. Heart Hospital of Austin is also a five-time recipient of the Thomson Reuters 100 Top Hospitals® Cardiovascular Benchmarks for Success award. In addition to providing a full range of cardiovascular services and an advanced Executive Wellness Program, Heart Hospital of Austin has a comprehensive 24-hour emergency department. For more information, please visit HeartHospitalofAustin.com.

HealthGrades

HealthGrades is America's most trusted, independent source of physician information and hospital quality outcomes. HealthGrades online properties are the nation's leading destination for physician search and empower more than 170 million consumers annually to make informed health care decisions.