U.S. News & World Report Ranks Scripps Among Nation’s Best for Heart Care

U.S. News & World Report’s 2011-2012 Best Hospitals rankings has again named the combined heart programs of Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla and Scripps Green Hospital among the best in the nation for cardiology and heart surgery. In addition, Scripps La Jolla, Scripps Green, Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas and Scripps Mercy Hospital (San Diego and Chula Vista) were collectively recognized for high performance in 12 specialties in the Best Hospitals metro area rankings for San Diego.

“This honor reflects the great teamwork we have in place at the Scripps Cardiovascular Institute (SCI),” said Paul Teirstein, MD, cardiologist and medical director of the Scripps Cardiovascular Institute. “Although construction of the SCI is only beginning, cardiovascular teams from throughout the Scripps system and Kaiser Permanente San Diego are working closely together to promote excellence. It is rewarding to see our high quality care recognized at the national level.”

Scripps recently broke ground on the $456 million heart institute, a center for innovation that will bring together top researchers, physicians and staff. SCI will incorporate leading-edge wireless technologies and individualized medicine for the best in patient care when it opens in 2015. Annually, more than 55,000 patients receive their cardiovascular care from Scripps, making it San Diego County’s largest heart care provider. For 25 years, Scripps has partnered with Kaiser Permanente to provide cardiovascular services to Kaiser’s San Diego County members, and recently signed a 10-year contract to extend that relationship. Through the outstanding efforts of Scripps and Kaiser physicians, Scripps is the San Diego region’s only cardiovascular program consistently recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the best in the country for five of the last six years.

Besides a national ranking in cardiology and cardiac surgery, Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla and Scripps Green Hospital were recognized for high performance in 11 specialty areas including:

• Cancer
• Diabetes and endocrinology
• Ear, nose and throat
• Gastroenterology
• Geriatrics
• Gynecology
• Kidney disorders
• Neurology
• Neurosurgery
• Orthopedics
• Pulmonology
• Urology

Scripps Mercy Hospital (San Diego and Chula Vista) was recognized for high performance in 10 specialties including:

• Cancer
• Health care and cardiology
• Diabetes and endocrinology
• Gastroenterology
• Geriatrics
• Kidney disorders
• Neurology and neurosurgery
• Orthopedics
• Pulmonology
• Urology

Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas was recognized for high performance in gastroenterology and geriatrics.

“Our national ranking for heart care supports our vision to build the world’s finest cardiovascular institute right here in San Diego, while continuing to provide the best in heart care for our community,” said Chris Van Gorder, Scripps president and CEO. “The numerous metro rankings are a testament to the consistent, high-quality care we provide across our system. We owe these accolades to the incredible dedication and talent of our hospitals’ staff and physicians.”

In each specialty in which a hospital was a candidate for national ranking it received a score from 0 to 100 that was based on four elements: reputation, patient survival, patient safety and care-related factors such as nursing and patient services. The top 50 hospitals were then ranked. To be included in the metro area rankings a hospital must score in the top 25 percent among its peers in at least one of the 16 medical specialties. The metro rankings add 587 high-performing hospitals to the 140 nationally ranked Best Hospitals.

Learn more about Scripps Health, a nonprofit integrated health system in San Diego, Calif.