Mercy’s open heart program once again rated among elite in the nation

The open heart program at Mercy’s Heart Center has, once again, earned a distinguished, three-star rating in overall performance from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) for its patient care and outcomes in coronary artery bypass grafting. This distinction reflects exemplary results in the following areas: absence of major mortality and morbidity; use of internal mammary artery harvest; and receipt of required perioperative medications. Mercy has now received this recognition twice, consecutively. Less than 10 percent of open heart programs in the U.S. earn this STS three-star distinction.

The STS rating – which denotes the highest category of quality and is the highest rating available – places Mercy among the most elite heart surgery centers in the U.S. and Canada. The star rating is calculated by using a combination of quality measures submitted by the hospital to the STS Adult Cardiac Surgery Database (ACSD).

Additionally, Mercy was also recently named as one of the nation’s Top 50 cardiovascular hospitals by Fortune and IBM® Watson Health®. Only three Iowa hospitals earned that designation, with Mercy being the only Top 50 cardiovascular hospital in Cedar Rapids.