Arrowhead Hospital makes top 100 list in national study

Arrowhead Hospital has been named one of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals for cardiovascular care by Thomson Reuters.

Arrowhead is one of two hospitals in the Phoenix area and one of 30 hospitals nationwide to be selected for this distinction in the Community Hospital category this year.

"Arrowhead Hospital is committed to delivering the highest quality care to our patients and the community, and being named one of the nation’s top cardiovascular hospitals only proves that Arrowhead is delivering on that commitment," said Jon Bartlett, CEO of Arrowhead Hospital. "This award builds upon Arrowheads national ranking two years in-a-row (2007 and 2008), from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons, 3-stars; and our Critical Care Unit was named a 2009 Beacon Award winner. Arrowhead Hospital is leading the way for proven, exceptional patient care in the Valley."

Thomson Reuters’ annual study — 100 Top Hospitals: Cardiovascular Benchmarks — examined the performance of 971 hospitals by analyzing clinical outcomes for patients diagnosed with heart failure and heart attacks and for those who received coronary bypass surgery or percutaneous cardiovascular interventions such as angioplasties.

"This recognition solidifies that the work we are doing here at Arrowhead ranks us among the best of the best cardiovascular programs in the nation," said Cynthia Fishel, director of Cardiovascular Services at Arrowhead Hospital. "The staff at Arrowhead takes great pride in delivering the highest quality and most cutting-edge care available to those in need of cardiovascular care in the Phoenix area."

The study, in its 11th year, found that the 100 Top Hospitals cardiovascular winners have:

• 17 percent lower mortality rates for heart attack patients

• 10 percent lower mortality rates for heart failure patients

• 27 percent lower mortality for bypass surgery patients

• 22 percent lower mortality following PCI

• Fewer post-operative complications — 99 percent of patients were complication-free

• Close to 12 percent shorter average hospital stay

• 12 percent lower cost per case

"Cardiovascular disease is still the number-one killer in the United States, so we look for the hospitals that provide the best care," said Jean Chenoweth, senior vice president for performance improvement and 100 Top Hospitals programs of Thomson Reuters. "These hospitals set the national standard for cardiovascular disease outcomes, process of care, efficiency and lower costs. They deliver significant value to their communities."

The 100 Top Hospitals study focused on short-term, acute care, non-federal U.S. hospitals that treat a broad spectrum of cardiology patients. Thomson Reuters researchers analyzed 2007 and 2008 Medicare Provider Analysis and Review (MedPAR) data, 2008 Medicare cost reports, and data from other sources. They scored hospitals in key performance areas: risk-adjusted medical mortality, risk-adjusted surgical mortality, risk-adjusted complications, core measures score, percentage of coronary bypass patients with internal mammary artery use, procedure volume, severity-adjusted average length of stay, and wage- and severity adjusted average cost.

Arrowhead Hospital, an affiliate of Abrazo Health Care, is in the Northwest Valley, south of Loop 101 at 67th Avenue and Union Hills Drive. For information on Arrowhead Hospital visit www.arrowheadhospital.com, or contact Michael Neely, director of marketing, at 623-572-4500 or mneely@abrazohealth.com.