UM Prince George's Hospital Center Cardiac Surgery Program Earns Highest Possible Quality Rating for the Fourth Time

CHEVERLY, MD (July 12, 2018) – The Cardiac Surgery Program at University of Maryland Prince George's Hospital Center (UM PGHC) continues its successful track record, earning the highest rating from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) for the quality of the hospital's Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG) procedure for the last four out of five reporting periods. CABG (often referred to as "cabbage") is the most common type of open heart surgery, improving blood flow to the heart by bypassing clogged arteries.

UM PGHC's Cardiac Surgery Program received a "3-star" rating from STS, which is the highest available rating and achieved by only 12 to15 percent of the 1,054 hospitals ranked nationwide during the most recent reporting period, January through December 2017. In addition to earning this high quality rating, the program has also achieved consistently high patient satisfaction scores and a shorter than average hospital stay.

"Since re-launching the program in 2014 we have seen tremendous success serving the cardiac surgery needs of area residents who previously needed to seek care elsewhere," said Jamie Brown, MD, a cardiothoracic surgeon who serves as director of cardiac surgery at UM PGHC and Associate Professor of surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. "We have been able to provide life-saving and life-enhancing care to many patients, performing more than 300 procedures. This recognition by STS reflects the skilled team of professionals committed to serving our patients close to their homes in Prince George's County and the surrounding area."

Cardiac surgery is one of several marquis programs currently at UM Prince George's Hospital Center included in a comprehensive range of advanced clinical services to be offered at the new UM Capital Region Medical Center, which is under construction in Largo, MD and expected to open in 2021.

The comprehensive rating system, developed by STS, reflects quality and safety improvements based on a national database which accounts for factors including mortality, morbidity, and medications. A "3-star" rating score indicates that University of Maryland Prince George's Hospital Center's performance is statistically significantly better than the national STS average for the CABG procedure.

"The Society of Thoracic Surgeons congratulates STS National Database participants who have received three-star ratings" said David M. Shahian, MD, Chair of the STS Council on Quality, Research, and Patient Safety. "Participation in the Database and public reporting demonstrates a commitment to quality improvement in health care delivery and provides patients and their families with meaningful information to help them make informed decisions about health care."

About University of Maryland Capital Region Health

Providing primary and specialty health care services to Prince George's County and the neighboring area, University of Maryland Capital Region Health was established in September 2017 upon the formal affiliation of the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS). University of Maryland Capital Region Health operates the University of Maryland Prince George's Hospital Center in Cheverly, University of Maryland Laurel Medical Center, University of Maryland Bowie Health Campus, and the University of Maryland Family Health & Wellness Center in Suitland. University of Maryland School of Medicine (SOM) faculty direct several University of Maryland Capital Region Health clinical programs, including anesthesiology, critical care, emergency medicine, neonatology, orthopedics and vascular surgery, and the State's second-busiest Trauma Center. University of Maryland School of Medicine faculty also lead the highly-regarded cardiac surgery program at UM Prince George's Hospital Center. A new state-of-the-art regional medical center is expected to open in Largo in 2021. For more information, visit http://www.umcapitalregion.org/

About the Society of Thoracic Surgeons

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) is a not-for-profit organization that represents more than 7,400 surgeons, researchers, and allied health care professionals worldwide who are dedicated to ensuring the best possible outcomes for surgeries of the heart, lung, and esophagus, as well as other surgical procedures within the chest. The Society's mission is to enhance the ability of cardiothoracic surgeons to provide the highest quality patient care through education, research, and advocacy. www.sts.org