(4/06/10) – McLeod Health released its 2009 Cardiothoracic Surgery Outcomes on Tuesday, April 6, during a Grand Rounds event. Grand Rounds is an annual presentation of data and outcomes from the previous year, detailing specifically cardiothoracic surgery results reported as part of the affiliation between McLeod Heart and Vascular Institute and the Cleveland Clinic.
The data in the 2009 Cardiothoracic Surgery Outcomes, provided in a collaborative booklet by Cleveland Clinic and McLeod, represents the recent statistics and surgical results of Dr. Jamie Holland of McLeod Cardiothoracic Surgical Associates and how this information compares to the national benchmarks from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS). These outcomes include the results of clinical quality efforts and processes during the second year of the McLeod Heart and Vascular Institute’s collaboration and affiliation with Cleveland Clinic.

This release of information is useful as a reference for physicians and the public of McLeod’s level of quality of care and its commitment to patients in the region. The outcomes shared are also designed to provide accurate, timely information about patient care in order to help patients and referring physicians make informed healthcare decisions.

‘Results and outcomes are extremely important,’ said Rob Colones, McLeod Health President and CEO. ‘Outcomes should be a part of any collaboration as decisions are made about what is best for patients. We are releasing the latest annual data from the McLeod Cardiothoracic Surgery Program as a catalyst for further improvement and to inform the communities in our region about the success of efforts on behalf of our patients.’

Through the collaboration with Cleveland Clinic in 2007, the McLeod Heart and Vascular Institute has opportunities to provide new treatments and therapies to patients as well as to accelerate mutual advancements in cardiothoracic surgery.

‘McLeod compares the outcomes of care for the patients we serve to national and international best practices and is committed to identifying any and all opportunities for improvement,’ said Donna Isgett, McLeod Senior Vice President of Quality and Safety. ‘We take this data and establish physician-led teams to guide the clinical improvement work, because the expertise of our physicians and their specialties are the primary drivers of the health care that is being provided.

‘We are extremely grateful for our physician and staff leadership, and their focus on innovation in quality and safety in patient care which underscores tireless efforts to advance medical services provided to our community,’ added Isgett.

McLeod Health, a regional presence dedicated to patients and their families, was founded in 1906, McLeod is a locally owned, not-for-profit institution which features the strength of nearly 400 physicians on the medical staff and more than 1,400 nurses, in addition to modern facilities; premier technology; and a dedication to improving the health of the communities it serves. McLeod composed of nearly 4,500 employees and nearly 30 medical practices. McLeod Regional Medical Center in Florence has 453 licensed beds, McLeod Medical Center Darlington houses 49 licensed beds and McLeod Medical Center Dillon, 79 licensed beds.

For more information on McLeod’s Cardiothoracic Surgery Outcomes, visit our website at www.McLeodCardiac.org.