Adam’s Heart Valve Surgery Blog

Blog Topics: The Cleveland Clinic Heart Center; Top Heart Surgery Hospital; Hospital Rankings; U.S. News And World Report; America’s “Best Hospitals” Survey

I talk to a lot of patients and caregivers. Maybe you and I have already chatted either via email or phone. One recurring question that I get frequently is, “Adam - What Is The Best Hospital For My Heart Surgery?”

If you read the annual survey from U.S. News and World Report, the answer is quite clear… The Cleveland Clinic Heart Center. For those of you who are not familiar with The Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, this teaching facility is the premiere institution for heart treatment development and operations.

I recently spoke with Dr. Eric Roselli, a staff surgeon, at The Cleveland Clinic Heart Center. During our discussion, I learned that a significant portion of patients that have heart surgery at The Cleveland Clinic Heart Center are not from the state of Ohio. That fact attests to the stature of this premiere heart-centric hospital.

Here is the press release that announced The Cleveland Clinic Heart Center as the number one cardiac care center in 2007:

For the thirteenth consecutive year, Cleveland Clinic Heart Center has been ranked No. 1 in the U.S., according to the 2007 U.S. News & World Report “America’s Best Hospitals” survey.

The survey recognized Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation’s best hospitals overall, ranking the Clinic as No. 4 in the country. The Clinic ranked in all 16 specialties surveyed by the magazine. Twelve of its specialties were listed among the Top 10 in the United States. All the Clinic’s specialties placed in the nation’s top 20.

A full list of the national hospital rankings will be published in the July 23 issue of U.S. News & World Report magazine available on newsstands Monday, July 16. Rankings for pediatrics are not included because they will be featured in the magazine’s Sept. 3 issue, available for purchase on Monday, Aug. 27.

“At Cleveland Clinic, delivering high-quality, patient-centered healthcare is at the heart of everything we do,” said Delos M. “Toby” Cosgrove, M.D., President and CEO of Cleveland Clinic. “I commend our physicians, nurses and all employees for their tireless dedication and efforts in putting patients first and providing them with high-quality, compassionate healthcare. The U.S. News survey data provides a useful benchmark as we continue to provide world-class medical care.”

The complete 2007 national rankings for Cleveland Clinic are: heart and heart surgery 1; digestive disorders, 2; urology, 2; orthopedics, 4; rheumatology, 4; kidney disease 5; respiratory disorders, 5; neurology and neurosurgery, 6; endocrinology, 6; gynecology, 7; ear, nose and throat, 9; geriatrics, 9; ophthalmology, 12; cancer, 17; psychiatry, 19; and rehabilitation, 20.

According to U.S. News & World Report, of 5,462 hospitals evaluated by the magazine, 173 scored high enough in measures of quality, including mortality and patient volume, to be ranked in at least one specialty this year.

The 18 hospitals selected for the magazine’s 2007 Honor Roll, with Cleveland Clinic ranked No. 4, “displayed the marked breadth of expertise” and high scores in at least six specialties, according to U.S. News.

RTI International, Research Triangle Park, N.C., compiled all hospital data and developed the 2007 rankings on behalf of U.S. News & World Report. In 11 of the 16 specialties ranked, hard data largely determine a hospital’s position. In the other four, (ophthalmology, psychiatry, rehabilitation and rheumatology) the rankings are based on each program’s reputation among specialist physicians.)

Keep on tickin,

About The Author: Adam Pick is a double, heart valve surgery patient and author of The Patient’s Guide To Heart Valve Surgery. This unique book integrates the clinical facts of heart valve surgery with the personal experiences of 78 former valve surgery patients to help patients and caregivers better understand the opportunities, problems and challenges of heart valve surgery. To learn more about Adam and his heart valve surgery book, click here.

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This entry was posted on Saturday, October 27th, 2007 at 7:08 pm and is filed under Heart Valve Surgery, Announcements, Heart Surgery Options. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. Print This Post | EMail This Post.