Excellence of top cardiovascular hospitals points toward opportunities to potentially save thousands of additional lives and billions of dollars in costs
DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. – (December 9, 2020) – Halifax Health Medical Center of Daytona Beach was named as one of the nation’s top performing hospitals by Fortune and IBM® Watson Health®.
The annual Fortune/IBM 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals study spotlights leading short-term, acute care, non-federal US hospitals that treat a broad spectrum of cardiology patients. The study is designed to identify impartial, actionable, and attainable benchmarks for hospital and clinical leaders as they work to raise their own organizations’ standards of performance in cardiac care.
“To be chosen as a Top Cardiovascular Hospital for two consecutive years is an extraordinary accomplishment for Halifax Health. Our collaboration with the University of Florida for heart and vascular surgery services has allowed us to continue to provide exceptional care in East Central Florida. It also shows the commitment to excellence by our Emergency Room Physicians, Cath Lab, Intensivists, Cardiologists, CVICU and CPCU nursing staff. It takes a total team effort and every Team Member associated with our Cardiovascular program has done a remarkable job” said Matt Petkus, Vice President of Physician Services.
This year’s study included 980 U.S. hospitals with cardiovascular service lines. Based on comparisons between the study winners and a peer group of similar hospitals in the study, the winners delivered better outcomes while operating more efficiently and at a lower cost.
Extrapolating the results of this year’s study, if all Medicare inpatients received the same level of care as those treated in the award-winning facilities:
- More than 7,000 additional lives could be saved
- More than 5,000 heart patients could be complication-free
- More than $1.6 billion in inpatient costs could be saved
“With more than 120 million American adults living with some form of cardiovascular disease, cardiovascular services are among the most critical in healthcare,” said Ekta Punwani, 100 Top Hospitals Program Lead, IBM Watson Health. “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.”
Since the 2015 launch of UF Health Heart and Vascular Surgery at Halifax Health, the program has been named among the top 10 percent of heart programs in the nation, having been awarded the highest three-star rating by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons. The program has also achieved accreditation by the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission in Vascular Testing in the area of Peripheral Arterial Testing.
The annual report highlights the top-performing cardiovascular hospitals in the U.S. based on a balanced scorecard of publicly available clinical, operational, and patient satisfaction metrics and data.
To view the complete 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals list, click here.
About Halifax Health
Recognized as one of the 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals™ in the United States by IBM Watson Health™, Halifax Health serves Volusia and Flagler counties, providing a continuum of health care services through a network of organizations including a tertiary hospital, two community hospitals, an urgent care, psychiatric services, a cancer treatment center with five outreach locations, the area’s largest hospice, a center for inpatient rehabilitation, outpatient rehabilitation clinics, primary care walk-in clinics, a clinic specializing in women’s health, a pediatric care community clinic, three children’s medical practices, a home health care agency and an exclusive provider organization. Halifax Health offers the area’s only Level II Trauma Center, Comprehensive Stroke Center, Center for Transplant Services, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Pediatric Emergency Department, Child and Adolescent Behavioral Services, complete Neurosurgical Services, OB Emergency Department and Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit that cares for babies born earlier than 28 weeks. For more information, visit halifaxhealth.org.
About IBM Watson Health
IBM Watson Health is a data, analytics, and technology partner for the health industry. Supported by the innovation of IBM and intelligence of Watson, we are committed to helping build smarter health ecosystems. Through the combination of our deep industry expertise in health, data and analytics, actionable insights, and reputation for security and trust, Watson Health is working together with its clients and partners to help them achieve simpler processes, better care insights, faster breakthroughs, and improved experiences for people around the world. Learn more at https://www.ibm.com/watson-health.
