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Sentara Heart & Kidney Programs Again Named to U.S. News & World Report Top 50
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 July 11, 2008 - NORFOLK, VA – Heart and Heart Surgery services at Sentara Heart Hospital and Kidney services at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital rank among the top 50 programs in the nation in the 2008 America’s Best Hospitals Edition of U.S. News & World Report magazine.
Marking its ninth year among the nation’s top heart programs, the cardiac program at Sentara Heart Hospital ranks 38th out of the top 50 hospitals listed. Drilling down further into the measurement criteria, Sentara Heart Hospital boasts a mortality ratio that is superior to seven of the top ten programs in the nation. When looking at mortality index alone, Sentara has the sixth best mortality ratio in the country.
For the second consecutive year, the Kidney Program at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital also made the list, ranking 42nd out of 50. Also impressive is its mortality score that betters eight of the top ten programs in that specialty.
The U.S. News rankings for 2008 weigh three elements equally: death rate (mortality), a set of care-related factors such as nursing and patient services, and reputation. According to U.S. News, of 5,453 hospitals evaluated only 170 were ranked in even one of the 16 medical specialties measured by the magazine. Sentara’s rankings place it among the top three percent of healthcare providers in the nation.
“Our consistent ranking among the top providers nationally is an achievement we are quite proud of,” says Lenox Baker, M.D., Sentara’s Chief of Cardiac Surgery. “Our patients and the community can feel confident when they come to us that they are receiving the best care from a top quality program.”
“The recognized quality outcomes from our cardiac program at Sentara Heart Hospital directly reflect the strength of our cardiac team,” adds Carl Hartman, M.D., Sentara’s Chief of Cardiac Medicine. “Our physicians are supported by an outstanding team of nurses, technologists and caregivers – all working together to deliver the highest quality care.”
Patients with kidney disease also require a team of professionals to administer proper care. That team includes the physicians and nurses at the bedside, as well as the staff who address dietary needs, dialysis care, surgery and transplant teams and a host of support functions.
“The care of renal patients requires a diverse team of caregivers across a spectrum of specialties and disciplines,” says John Colonna, M.D., a transplant surgeon with Vascular and Transplant Specialists. “It is rewarding to have our success in the care of these patients acknowledged in this way.”
Sentara Heart Hospital, opened in 2006, is the region’s only dedicated heart hospital. Located on the campus of Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, Sentara Heart Hospital features 112 private inpatient rooms and 45 pre/post-op procedure rooms. Sentara Heart Hospital has five dedicated cardiac operating rooms, six cardiac catheterization labs and the region’s first 64-slice CTA scanner and cardiac MRA for cardiac imaging. Cardiac surgeons at Sentara use the SPY® Intra-operative Imaging System during coronary bypass surgery.
Sentara Norfolk General Hospital’s Kidney services, included as part of Sentara’s Urology program, were evaluated on the treatment of kidney disease, access to renal dialysis, kidney failure and infections in the hospital setting, as well as the presence of renal transplant programs. The renal transplantation program at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital was established in 1972 and has performed more than 1,400 kidney transplants since inception.
24/2008
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