After an analysis of national data, covering the period from January 1, 2012 through December 31, 2012, the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) awarded Trident Medical Center its highest possible rating of 3-Stars. To put that in perspective, this score is earned by only 15% of all eligible hospitals.
The STS score is calculated using a combination of 11 measures of quality. The composite score is a single number or rating that summarizes all available information about the quality of care delivered by a hospital.
“The STS results are based on clinical outcomes and place Trident Medical Center in the top 15 percent of hospitals in the country with heart surgery programs,” said James Benner, MD of Palmetto Cardiothoracic Associates, and the medical director of the Trident Health Cardiovascular Surgery program.
“The STS Database is the oldest and most established registry measuring quality in healthcare, more established than any other database that evaluates quality in other branches of medicine,” said Allison Walters, RN, Cardiovascular Service Line Administrator for Trident Health. “Patients needing heart surgery should ask their surgeon and the hospital if they participate in the STS database and what their results are.”
“The rating reflected in the STS data is the result of a team effort,” said James Benner, MD. “Everyone involved in patient care – the cardiovascular team in the OR, the intensive care unit and other nursing units, the cardiac catheterization lab, respiratory therapy, the Trident medical staff, the blood bank – all are part of the team that provides quality outcomes. It truly reflects the excellent work and commitment to our patients at Trident Medical Center.