UNC REX Named One of the Nation’s Top 50 Cardiovascular Hospitals by IBM Watson Health
Recognition based on factors such as mortality, complications, readmissions and cost
RALEIGH, N.C. – Nov. 6, 2018 – UNC REX Healthcare has been named to a list of the nation’s 50 best Cardiovascular Hospitals by IBM Watson Health.
The Watson Health 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals study is now in its 20th year. The study is an annual, objective and quantitative analysis that identifies the nation’s best providers of cardiovascular care, based on publicly available data and clinical, operational and financial performance metrics. Hospitals can’t apply, and winners do not pay for the honor.
“UNC REX, which opened the North Carolina Heart & Vascular Hospital on our main Raleigh campus in March 2017, is proud to be a destination for cardiovascular patients from across Eastern and Central North Carolina,” said Steve Burriss, president of UNC REX. “This recognition is a direct result of the commitment by our co-workers and physicians to improve treatments, outcomes and quality for all patients.”
Watson Health ranked hospitals based on measures such as mortality, complications, readmissions, length of stay, cost and other factors. The study uses data from Medicare and other sources.
If all cardiovascular providers in the U.S. performed at the level of this year’s winners (based on Medicare patients only), results industry-wide could amount to: over 10,300 additional lives saved, $1.8 billion saved, and 2,800 additional bypass and angioplasty patients could be complication-free.
“Cardiovascular disease is among the most widespread and costliest diseases in the U.S. with an annual price tag of roughly $317 billion. It is estimated that cardiovascular disease accounts for approximately $1 out of every $6 spent on healthcare in the country. That’s why it is so critical that hospitals find new and innovative ways to deliver better care at a lower cost,” said Ekta Punwani, 100 Top Hospitals program leader at IBM Watson Health. “The winning hospitals in our study have established the new benchmark for cardiac care performance by driving consistently better outcomes at a lower cost per case than non-winning hospitals.”
The winning hospitals were announced in the November 5th edition of Modern Healthcare magazine. For more information, visit here.
