Mercy Medical Center has been named one of the nation’s top-performing hospitals by Fortune and IBM Watson Health. The annual Fortune/IBM 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals study recognizes leading hospitals that treat a broad range of cardiology patients.
The Top 50 selected hospitals are listed in three categories: teaching hospitals with cardiovascular residencies, which is Mercy’s designation; teaching hospitals without such residencies; and community hospitals. Mercy is the only hospital in the Cedar Rapids-Iowa City Corridor to make the Top 50 list.
“We are exceptionally proud of this recognition,” said Dr. C.C. Lee, Mercy cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon and co-medical director of The Plumb Heart Center at Mercy. “It’s a reflection of our dedicated team of providers and our positive patient outcomes. We’re grateful that so many patients trust their heart care to Mercy. Throughout the last six years, our patient volumes have nearly doubled. We’re excited that we’ll be able to care for even more patients at our comprehensive new heart center, which is now under construction. Cardiovascular disease is still the number one killer in this country. There will always be a need for trusted, quality cardiac services.”
This year’s study included 951 U.S. hospitals with cardiovascular programs. Compared to similar cardiovascular hospitals, Mercy and other Top 50 hospitals had better results on measurements of clinical outcomes, operational efficiency, financial performance and patient experience.
As a reflection of its robust and high-quality heart program, Mercy’s top-ranked team of cardiologists treats more patients in Linn County than any other hospital. And, in addition to this consecutive ranking as a Top 50 Cardiovascular Hospital, Mercy is also the only hospital in Cedar Rapids to have earned the prestigious three-star rating – the highest recognition for open heart surgery by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons.
“Despite the challenges of COVID-19, the hospitals recognized on the Fortune/IBM Watson Health 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals list are providing quality care in one of the most critical areas,” said IBM Watson Health’s 100 Top Hospitals Program Leader, Ekta Punwani. “Hospitals are constantly working to improve clinical and operational performance, and the exceptional organizations on this list demonstrate the standard for top-performing cardiac care. Their benchmarks serve as a real-world checkpoint for cardiovascular care across the U.S.”
The annual report highlights the top-performing cardiovascular hospitals in the U.S. based on a scorecard of publicly available clinical, operational, and patient satisfaction metrics and data.
The winning hospitals were announced in Fortune. For more information, visit https://www.ibm.com/products/50-top-cardiovascular-hospitals
