For Immediate Release December 09, 2019

University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center was named one of the nation's 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals by IBM Watson HealthTM. The study spotlights the top-performing cardiovascular hospitals in the U.S. based on a balanced scorecard of publicly available clinical, operational and patient satisfaction metrics and data.

This study is part of the IBM Watson Health 100 Top Hospitals® program, using independent and objective research to analyze hospital and health system performance in key clinical and operational areas for selected cardiovascular procedures and medical care. Indicators include: risk-adjusted inpatient mortality index, risk-adjusted complications index, mean 30-day risk-adjusted mortality rate, mean 30-day risk-adjusted readmission rate, severity-adjusted length of stay, case mix- and wage-adjusted inpatient cost per case, 30-day episode payment, and adjusted operating profit margin. The study has been conducted annually since 1998. This is the 11th time University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center has been recognized with this honor.

"It's a great honor to receive this recognition for the 11th time," says Dr. Thomas B. Smyth, MD, President and CEO. "It is because of the hard work of our talented staff and physicians, their dedication to our True North and our mission of loving service and compassionate care that we have been recognized with this honor."

University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center (UM SJMC) became the first community hospital in the Baltimore area to perform open heart surgery in 1982, and its history of innovation in heart care continues today in our Heart Institute. Patients from all over Maryland and neighboring states come to UM SJMC to receive treatment.

Based on the results of this year's study, IBM Watson HealthTM extrapolates that if all Medicare inpatients received the same level of care as those treated in the award-winning facilities:

  • More than 11,000 additional lives could be saved;
  • More than 2,800 additional heart patients could be complication-free; and
  • Over $1.5 billion could be saved.

"By finding ways to continuously improve and innovate, the winners of our 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals study are identifying opportunities to deliver healthcare value to patients, communities, and payers," said Ekta Punwani, MHA, 100 Top Hospitals® program leader at IBM Watson Health. "The top performing hospitals demonstrated better clinical care and were more efficient than their peers at delivering this care."

The winning hospitals were announced in an IBM press release on November 19.

For more information, visit www.100tophospitals.com.

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About University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center

UM St. Joseph Medical Center (UM SJMC), founded in 1864 by the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia, is a 218-bed Catholic, not-for-profit regional medical center in Towson, Maryland. A member of the 13-hospital University of Maryland Medical System, UM SJMC is located in suburban Baltimore County, and offers a wide range of superb clinical programs and centers of excellence, including the Cancer, Heart and Orthopaedic Institutes, Women and Children's services and Emergency Medicine. Our mission: To provide loving service and compassionate, leading-edge care to all. For more information, visit umstjoseph.org.

About IBM Watson Health

Watson Health is a business unit of IBM that is dedicated to the development and implementation of cognitive and data-driven technologies to advance health. Watson Health technologies are tackling a wide range of the world's biggest health care challenges, including cancer, diabetes, drug discovery and more. Learn more about IBM Watson Health.