FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: NOVEMBER 17, 2008
Contact: Bill Seiler bseiler@umm.edu or
Ellen Beth Levitt eblevitt@umm.edu 410-328-8919

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND MEDICAL CENTER IS AGAIN RECOGNIZED NATIONALLY AS A TOP HOSPITAL FOR CARDIOVASCULAR CARE

Thomson Reuters Study Analyzed Patient Outcomes in Key Areas

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For the second year in a row, the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore is one of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals for cardiovascular care, according to a just-released study by Thomson Reuters, which provides healthcare research for businesses and professionals.

The 2008 Thompson Reuters 100 Top Hospitals study examined the performance of 970 hospitals in caring for patients diagnosed with heart failure and heart attacks and also looked at clinical outcomes for those who received coronary bypass surgery and angioplasty. The hospitals were scored in key performance areas. The University of Maryland Medical Center is the only teaching hospital with a cardiovascular residency program in Maryland, Delaware or Washington, D.C. on the list, and it was among only 30 such hospitals nationwide to be recognized by Thomson Reuters.

“Our listing among the nation’s top hospitals for cardiovascular care for the second year in a row recognizes the excellence, collaboration and innovation of our Heart Center doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other staff,” says Jeffrey A. Rivest, President and Chief Executive Officer of the University of Maryland Medical Center.

“I congratulate Dr. Mandeep Mehra and Dr. Bartley Griffith for their continued emphasis on providing the best possible patient care and their focus on incorporating advances in research and treatment to benefit each individual patient,” adds Rivest.

Mandeep R. Mehra, M.D., Chief of Cardiology, says, “Patients seek out the University of Maryland Heart Center because of our international reputation in advanced cardiac care, including recognized programs in heart failure and cardiac transplantation.”

He points to a number of innovations at the University of Maryland Medical Center that are ensuring the best possible patient outcomes. “For example, we have incorporated real-time cardiac imaging in the treatment of electrical disturbances in the heart, and we offer a variety of new, lifesaving cardiac support devices,” says Dr. Mehra, who is also a professor of medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He adds that therapies based on a patient’s genetic makeup are part of the variety of treatment options available.

According to Chief of Cardiac Surgery, Bartley P. Griffith, M.D., “We are constantly seeking ways to improve the treatment we offer our patients. For example, we have led the development and use of minimally invasive approaches that do not require a big incision for performing multi-vessel heart bypass operations and for treating valve disease. This includes the use of the surgical robot, which helps bypass patients recover faster with fewer complications.”

“Our heart program has become known as a place with the expertise and willingness to go the extra mile to help people with even the most complex health challenges,” says Dr. Griffith, who is a professor of surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

University of Maryland Heart Center surgeons have expertise with a dozen different types of heart pumps, which they can use to tailor treatment for a patient with heart failure, depending on the type of cardiac problem and the patient’s individual situation.

According to the Thomson Reuters announcement of the Top 100 Cardiovascular Hospitals, “These hospitals provide enormous value to their communities because heart disease is still the nation’s number one killer. They have set the new national standard for cardiovascular disease outcomes, process of care, efficiency, and lower costs,” said Jean Chenoweth, senior vice president for performance improvement and 100 Top Hospitals programs in the Healthcare business of Thomson Reuters.

The Thomson Reuters top hospital designation is the most recent recognition of the University of Maryland Medical Center’s superior patient care. The medical center was listed in the US News & World Report’s Best Hospitals ranking for Heart Disease in 2008 and, for the third year in a row, was named to the Leapfrog Group’s elite list of the nation’s best acute-care hospitals for quality and patient safety in 2008.

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The University of Maryland Medical Center is a 705-bed teaching hospital in downtown Baltimore that provides a full range of health care to people from throughout Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic region. It is a referral center for the most serious and complicated health problems in adults and children, including cancer, trauma, heart disease, neurological conditions and organ transplants. All members of the UMMC medical staff are on the faculty of the University of Maryland School of Medicine. For more information on the University of Maryland Medical Center, go to: www.umm.edu

For more information on the Thomson Reuters 100 Top Hospitals program, go to http://thomsonreuters.com/content/press_room/tsh/TRAnnounces100TopHospitalsCardio

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This page was last updated on: November 25, 2008.