Central Maine Medical Center has been named one of the nation’s 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals by IBM Watson HealthTM. The Watson Health 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals™ study is now in its 20th year. This is the first year that CMMC, with its Central Maine Heart and Vascular Institute, has been recognized, and it is the only hospital in Maine to receive the honor.
The Watson Health 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals study is based on analyses including reviews from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Hospitals were scored in key value-based performance areas including mortality, complications and readmission rates.
“This is a welcome recognition of the high-quality care provided by Central Maine Medical Center,” said David Tupponce, president of CMMC and executive vice president of Central Maine Healthcare. “Our remarkable surgeons, interventional cardiologists and vascular specialists make a difference in our patients’ lives every day. And this is also another recognition of our commitment to safety and quality.”
The Central Maine Heart and Vascular Institute is a “center of excellence” at CMMC, offering advanced cardiac and vascular diagnostic and treatment services.
If all cardiovascular providers in the U.S. performed at the level of this year’s winners (based on Medicare patients only), results industry-wide could amount to: over 10,300 additional lives saved, $1.8 billion saved, and 2,800 additional bypass and angioplasty patients could be complication-free.
“Cardiovascular disease is among the most widespread and costliest diseases in the U.S. with an annual price tag of roughly $317 billion. It is estimated that cardiovascular disease accounts for approximately $1 out of every $6 spent on healthcare in the country. “That’s why it is so critical that hospitals find new and innovative ways to deliver better care at a lower cost,” said Ekta Punwani, 100 Top Hospitals® program leader at IBM Watson Health. “The winning hospitals in our study have established the new benchmark for cardiac care performance by driving consistently better outcomes at a lower cost per case than non-winning hospitals.”