Intermountain Press Release

Salt Lake City—LDS Hospital announced today that it has been designated a UnitedHealth Premium cardiac specialty center, reflecting national recognition of the cardiac care it provides.

"We are honored to receive this designation, which offers further evidence of the high standard of care that we are proud to deliver every day," said Donald Lappe, M.D., chief of cardiology at LDS Hospital. "We are pleased to measure favorably against nationally recognized quality and cost-efficiency benchmarks for the outstanding cardiac care we provide to our patients."

The UnitedHealth Premium designation program for cardiac care identifies hospitals and specialists nationwide who are leaders in providing cardiac care. To receive this designation, LDS Hospital had to meet extensive evidence-based quality criteria developed by nationally recognized cardiac experts and based on national guidelines set by the American College of Cardiology and the Society for Thoracic Surgeons.

"Patients who require cardiac care need to know that they are getting quality treatment," says Lewis Sandy, M.D., executive vice president of clinical strategies at UnitedHealthcare. "Our goal is to enhance the overall quality of care for our customers and enrollees. The UnitedHealth Premium designation signals to all consumers that LDS Hospital exceeds nationally recognized standards of care."

LDS Hospital is one of the top cardiac centers in the country. Last year, U.S. News & World Report magazine named LDS Hospital among the top 50 heart centers in the nation.