News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 22, 2013
MEDIA CONTACT: Stephanie Poyant
Public Information Officer
Southcoast Health System
Office: 508-973-5280
Cell: 774-634-1460
poyants@southcoast.org
www.southcoast.org/news/releases/
Healthgrades study names Southcoast Hospitals Group one of America's 100
Best Hospitals in U.S. for heart care
Southcoast receives Five-star rating for treatment of heart attacks for 2014
FALL RIVER, Mass. — Southcoast® Hospitals Group today was named one of America's 100
Best Hospitals for heart care by Healthgrades, the leading provider of information to help consumers
make an informed decision about a physician or hospital. Healthgrades recognized Southcoast with its
Specialty Excellence Awards for Overall Cardiac Care and for Cardiac Surgery.
“Patients in the South Coast region who receive their cardiac care at a Southcoast hospital can
rest assured they are receiving their care at one of the top heart hospitals in the U.S.,” said Keith A.
Hovan, President & CEO of Southcoast Health System and Southcoast Hospitals Group. “At the forefront
of this achievement is our dedication to improving quality care and patient safety, which is represented by
these awards of excellence.”
The release of the American Hospital Quality Outcomes 2014: Healthgrades Report to the
Nation analyzes tens of millions of patients' outcomes — specifically, mortality and complication rates —
at the nation's 4,500 hospitals.
“The Healthgrades ratings and rankings are an exceptional accomplishment for our cardiac
program and a testament to our physicians, surgeons, nurses and health care providers who are saving
lives every day,” said Laurie Mulgrew, Vice President of Clinical Services for Cardiovascular Care &
Imaging. “Patients who receive their cardiac care at a Southcoast hospital can rest assured they are
receiving their care at one of the top heart hospitals in the U.S.”
Healthgrades’ 2014 clinical achievements for Southcoast Hospitals are:
America’s 100 Best Hospitals

One of Healthgrades America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Care™ for three years in a row.

One of Healthgrades America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Surgery™ for three years in a row.
Cardiac Excellence Awards & Five-star Ratings

Recipient of the Healthgrades Cardiac Care Excellence Award™ for eight years in a row.

Recipient of the Healthgrades Cardiac Surgery Excellence Award™ for three years in a row.

Ranked among the top 5 percent in the U.S. for cardiac surgery for three years in a row.

Ranked among the top 10 percent in the U.S. for overall cardiac services for eight years in a row.

Five-star rated for coronary bypass surgery for three years in a row.

Five-star rated for valve surgery for three years in a row.

Five-star rated for coronary interventional procedures for nine years in a row.

Five-star rated for treatment of heart attacks (2014)
For its analysis, Healthgrades evaluated approximately 40 million Medicare-patient records for
nearly 4,500 short-term acute care hospitals nationwide, assessing hospital performance relative to each
of 31 common conditions and procedures. Healthgrades awards hospitals quality achievements for cohortspecific performance, specialty area performance, and overall clinical quality. Individual procedure or
condition cohorts are designated as 5 star (statistically better than expected), 3 star (statistically as
expected) and 1 star (statistically worse than expected) categories. Detailed performance information,
such as cohort-specific outcomes data and quality achievements for individual hospitals may be found at
www.healthgrades.com/find-a-hospital.
More information on the American Hospital Quality Outcomes 2014: Healthgrades Report to
the Nation, including the complete methodology, can be found at www.healthgrades.com/quality
Heart disease is the No. 1 health problem locally and strikes South Coast residents more
frequently than anywhere else in Massachusetts. Southcoast Hospitals Group, which includes Charlton
Memorial Hospital in Fall River, St. Luke's Hospital in New Bedford and Tobey Hospital in Wareham,
ranks second in the entire state for the greatest number of cardiac medical discharges. Fourteen percent
more people have heart attacks in the South Coast — and about one in four residents die from heart
disease.
In fiscal year 2013, more than 13 percent of Southcoast's inpatient volume was attributed to heartrelated diagnoses and more than 27,500 outpatients received care related to the same.
About Southcoast Cardiovascular Services
Southcoast is the leader for cardiac services in the region. The Southcoast Cardiovascular
Service program provides a broad spectrum of cardiovascular services locally, including open heart
procedures, cardiac catheterizations, coronary angioplasty and cardiac implantable devices. Southcoast
performs more cardiac catheterizations than any other community hospital system in Massachusetts, with
approximately 60 percent of patients needing advanced treatment such as coronary artery bypass or
angioplasty. Southcoast’s state-of-the-art Electrophysiology Laboratories at Charlton Memorial Hospital
provides diagnostic testing for cardiac arrhythmias as well as invasive electrophysiology procedures such
as arrhythmia ablations.
Southcoast’s heart program continues to grow with an astounding 30 area cardiologists.
“Our number one priority is to provide well-coordinated, high-quality care to all of our patients,"
said Margaret Ferrell, MD, Physician-in-Chief for Cardiac Services. “The success of the Southcoast heart
program is credited to the highly skilled team of cardiologists, surgeons and health care professionals at
our three hospital sites. It is their 24 hours, 7 days a week dedication and the commitment by Southcoast
to invest in the latest technology, equipment and state-of-the-art facilities that enables us to rank among
the best in the country.”
Southcoast’s cardiac surgery program has brought unprecedented access to advanced cardiac
services to the region and has received exemplary reviews and outstanding patient satisfaction since its
inception.
For more information about Southcoast Cardiovascular Services, visit
http://www.southcoast.org/heart/.
About Southcoast Health System & Southcoast Hospitals Group
Southcoast Health System is a community based health delivery system with multiple access
points, offering an integrated continuum of health services throughout Southeastern Massachusetts and
East Bay, Rhode Island. It includes the three hospitals that make up Southcoast Hospitals Group —
Charlton Memorial Hospital in Fall River, St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford and Tobey Hospital in
Wareham.
Southcoast provides advanced clinical services, such as open heart surgery, angioplasty and heart
rhythm services, comprehensive cancer care, neurosurgery, weight loss surgery, orthopedic surgery,
advanced imaging services and is the only provider of maternity services in the region.
Southcoast is a not-for-profit charitable organization that depends on the support of the
community to provide services. More information is available online at www.southcoast.org. Connect to
Southcoast through social media at www.southcoast.org/connect/.
Southcoast® is a registered trademark of Southcoast Health System Inc.
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