Although Intermountain hospitals have always provided cardiovascular care, 15 years ago these services were brought together as the Cardiovascular Clinical Program. Since then, the program has been a prime example of Intermountain Healthcare's commitment to clinical quality, service quality, and value to the people we serve.
At Intermountain, we provide the most advanced, proven cardiac procedures, including non-invasive procedures such as heart-valve replacement that avoids exposing patients to the risks associated with surgery and cardiopulmonary bypass procedures.
Intermountain offers every cardiovascular surgery accepted in the United States, and we have achieved exceptional clinical and cost outcomes. For example:
- We have exceeded national norms for cardiovascular surgery outcomes, including survival and complication rates. We've achieved a 98% survival rate for Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) surgery and a 96% survival rate for valve procedures with or without CABG. (The comparable national averages are 97% for CABG and 93% for valve procedures with or without CABG.)
- We have achieved 97% compliance with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) /Joint Commission (JC) Core Measures for treating acute heart attacks. (The national composite rate for Acute Myocardial Infarction [AMI] Core Measures is 92%.)
- On the CMS/JC Measures for best practice standards in treating heart failure, we have a 94% compliance rate for 2008 and a 95% rate for year-to-date 2009. (The national composite rate for Heart Failure Core Measures is 76%.)
- For the past 13 years, we've averaged less than or equal to 90 minutes for door-to-percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for patients who come to our hospitals with acute heart attacks (ST-segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction, or "STEMI"). In 2008, we achieved an overall in-hospital survival rate of 94% (compared to a national rate of 79%).
In addition, the Cardiovascular Clinical Program has developed one of the nation's leading programs for heart rhythm management. We lead the nation in atrial fibrillation ablation, a procedure in which catheters are inserted through the veins and guided to the heart in order to restore a regular heartbeat. At Intermountain, these procedures are performed using computer-guided catheter techniques-including the latest Stereotaxis technology, which features "point and click," "joystick," "push button," and "touch screen" modes.
We have assembled a leading Heart Failure Prevention and Treatment Team whose approaches have been adopted by many excellent programs around the country. In addition, we have developed an integrated support program for treating patients whose hearts can't pump enough blood to the body's other organs (called "decompensated heart failure").
Importantly, we provide advanced therapies in all our major hospitals, along with a core program at Intermountain Medical Center where the most seriously ill patients can receive the most sophisticated treatments. In the most extreme cases, Intermountain's heart transplant program provides excellent care for patients throughout the Intermountain West.
For patients at our smaller, rural facilities, Intermountain has established protocols enabling speedy and safe transfer to our larger hospitals if a higher level of support is necessary.
Intermountain's Cardiovascular Clinical Program - and our emphasis on communication and coordination, data gathering, and advanced reporting tools - helps ensure that patients treated at any Intermountain facility will receive appropriate, consistent, quality cardiac care.
More Cardiovascular Clinical Program achievements:
- Provided appropriate cardiovascular discharge medications for greater than or equal to 90% of eligible patients. Our composite rate for three types of medications (ASA, ACE/ARB, and Beta Blocker) administered to Acute Myocardial Infarction patients is 97% for year-to-date 2009 (compared to the national composite rate of 94%).
- Maintained recommended blood glucose levels in greater than or equal to 90% (95% in 2008 and 93% for year-to-date 2009) of cardiac surgical patients in the first two days following surgery, which has led to a significant reduction in surgical mortality and major infections. (The national rate is 89%.)
- Met the established facility cost-per-case goals for coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery for more than 10 years.
- We are among the nation's research leaders, with more than 50 ongoing clinical studies and more than 100 manuscripts and abstracts published each year.
- Our genetic database, linked to clinical outcomes, advances the knowledge of best practice for our community and cardiac care throughout the world.