February 17, 2014

Bethesda North and Good Samaritan hospital cardiac surgery programs have both achieved the highest quality patient outcomes as measured by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS). 

The hospitals were the only two in the area that received a three-star composite score - the highest possible - for the year ending June 2013, the most recent reporting period. Bethesda North and Good Samaritan also were two of just four hospitals affiliated with Catholic Health Initiatives nationally to achieve this distinction.

The STS manages a national database that is considered the gold standard for outcome measurement of cardiac surgical procedures. It gathers data and compares surgical outcomes based on patient deaths, serious complications and other established measures of quality. The three-star ranking identifies the TriHealth Heart Institute as significantly above average, putting it in the top 10 to 15 percent of cardiac surgery programs nationwide.

"This is a testament to our cardiovascular surgeons and all the staff who care for cardiac patients," said John Prout, president and CEO of TriHealth.

"We can be proud to be nationally ranked as providing among the best cardiac care in the nation."