Scripps Hospital Exceeds All Others in State for Heart Bypass Surgery with Valve Replacement or Repair

Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla was the only hospital in California rated above average for outcomes in coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) with a valve replacement or repair, according to a report published this week by the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD). All hospitals within the state that perform CABG surgeries are required to submit data to OSHPD through the California CABG Outcomes Reporting Program.

The annual report provides an overview of the quality of the most common open heart surgeries (CABG and CABG plus valve) performed in California by rating hospitals as average, better than average or worse than average in four separate outcome categories. Three other hospitals in the state received better than average ratings in other outcome categories.

“By rating Scripps La Jolla above all other hospitals in the state, this report recognizes the exceptional care being delivered by the cardiovascular surgeons and the multi-disciplinary team that cares for our patients,” said Scripps cardiovascular surgeon Scot Brewster, MD, who is president of the Scripps Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery Group. “This is a strong indicator of the overall quality of Scripps’ cardiovascular program and its surgeons who perform almost 1,000 cardiovascular surgeries each year.”

The OSHPD report came on the heels of the most recent national report issued by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons which gave Scripps Health and the Scripps Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery Group three-star ratings (the highest category of quality) for coronary artery bypass grafting and aortic valve replacement for the period of July 2014 to June 2015. Only 26 of the 1,017 participants in that rating system received three stars in both of these categories in the report, which was issued in November.

Ranked No. 1 for heart care in San Diego County by U.S. News and World Report, Scripps is also the largest provider of heart care services in the region, caring for more than 76,000 cardiovascular patients every year. Its recently opened Prebys Cardiovascular Institute brings together leading researchers, physicians, staff and technologies in the most advanced center dedicated to heart care on the West Coast.

The OSHPD report, which looked at 2013 hospital data, is designed to make heart bypass surgery outcomes in the state more transparent and to improve patient care, according to OSHPD. Four outcome measures – operative mortality, post-operative stroke, hospital readmission and use of internal mammary artery for bypass graft – were evaluated, and the results were risk-adjusted to reflect the fact that some hospitals and surgeons care for sicker patients.

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