Morton Plant Named Best in Nation for Heart Care 15 Times

November 21, 2016
CLEARWATER, Fla., (November 21, 2016)-- Out of more than 1,000 hospitals, Truven Health Analytics has named Morton Plant Hospital as one of 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals in the United States. Morton Plant is the only hospital in the country to be named one of the best cardiovascular hospitals 15 times.

Called the 2017 Truven Health 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals Study, the analysis uses a balanced national scorecard of hospital performance metrics to identify the fifty highest-performing cardiovascular services lines in the nation.

“We are humbled to be recognized for our heart care more frequently than any other hospital in the country,” said Kris Hoce, president, Morton Plant Hospital. “We work to create a collaborative culture focused on doing the right thing for our patients. Our goal is for everyone—physicians, nurses and support staff—to feel like they own the quality of patient care. We believe that our collective commitment and sense of responsibility helps us to achieve top quality metrics for heart care."

Other hospitals on the list include Duke University Hospital, Durham, NC; Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit; The Mount Sinai Hospital, NY and UMass Memorial Medical Center, Worcester, MA.
To determine the 50 top U.S. hospitals for heart care, Truven Health researchers analyzed 2014 and 2015 Medicare Provider Analysis and Review (MedPAR) data, 2015 Medicare cost reports and second-quarter 2016 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Compare data. They scored hospitals in key performance areas: risk-adjusted mortality, risk-adjusted complications, core measures (a group of measures that assess process of care), percentage of coronary bypass patients with internal mammary artery use, 30-day mortality rates, 30-day readmission rates, severity-adjusted average length of stay, and wage- and severity-adjusted average cost.


“In addition to our commitment to quality, we work to promote access to new technology and procedures,” said Mahesh Amin, MD, medical director of cardiovascular services, Morton Plant Hospital. “In 2016 we brought several groundbreaking advancements to our heart patients,” noted Dr. Amin. Those advancements include:

  • Morton Plant began providing a new group of patients suffering from aortic stenosis with minimally invasive transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) following U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for intermediate risk patients. Morton Plant Hospital also participating in the intermediate risk FDA study.
  • Morton Plant was one of the first hospitals in Florida not a part of the clinical trial study to implant the Medtronic Micra Transcatheter Pacing System (TPS). Known as the world’s smallest pacemaker, the one-inch device is thought to be the start of a new era in pacemakers.
  • Morton Plant Hospital was the first site in West Central Florida to use the fully dissolving  Absorb stent in a coronary artery following FDA approval. Morton Plant Hospital participated in the ABSORB III clinical trial.
  • Morton Plant Hospital recently announced that it is participating in a clinical research trial assessing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) for low risk aortic stenosis patients who have traditionally been treated with surgical aortic valve replacement.
About the 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals Report
The 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals Report is published by Truven Health Analytics, an IBM Company. Published once a year in November, the study is available at http://www.100tophospitals.com. Organizations do not apply or pay for the honor, or pay to promote their award.

About Morton Plant Hospital’s Cardiovascular Services

The first hospital in Tampa Bay to perform open heart surgery more than 40 years ago, Morton Plant Hospital is a Level II cardiac surgery program. The program has received the Society of Thoracic Surgeon’s highest level of recognition, a three-star rating. Through its Morgan Heart Hospital, Morton Plant provides cardiac catheterization labs, electrophysiology labs, cardiovascular surgery operating suites and universal patient rooms, the Morton Plant Structural Heart Center, a multi-disciplinary team performing minimally invasive treatments for valve disease such as Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) or Transcatheter Mitral Valve Repair (TMVR) and the Heart Function Clinic for the evaluation and treatment of heart failure and cardiac rehabilitation.

About Morton Plant Hospital

Since 1916, Morton Plant Hospital has been committed to improving the health of all we serve through community-owned health care services that set the standard for high-quality, compassionate care. Our 687-bed hospital is proud to offer nationally recognized care delivered in more than 50 specialty areas. Morton Plant Hospital offers innovative, accessible, and quality services to provide our community with a lifetime of compassionate, convenient care. Check out information on Morton Plant’s 100th Anniversary at www.MortonPlant100.org. For more information, call (727) 953-6877, or visit us on Facebook.

About BayCare Health System

BayCare is a leading not-for-profit health care system that connects individuals and families to a wide range of services at 14 hospitals and hundreds of other convenient locations throughout the Tampa Bay and central Florida regions. Inpatient and outpatient services include acute care, primary care, imaging, laboratory, behavioral health, home care, and wellness. Our mission is to improve the health of all we serve through community-owned, health care services that set the standard for high-quality, compassionate care. For more information, visit BayCare on the Web at www.BayCare.org


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