EAMC recognized by Healthgrades with five Cardiac and Vascular Awards including as one of America's 50 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Surgery

OPELIKA, Ala.- East Alabama Medical Center is one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals for cardiac surgery, according to new research released by Healthgrades, the leading marketplace connecting doctors and patients. The information from Healthgrades also indicates EAMC is the ONLY hospital in Alabama to be among the top 5% of hospitals nationwide for cardiac surgery.

Additionally, EAMC was a recipient of the Healthgrades 2023 Cardiac Surgery Excellence Award, is a Five-Star Recipient for Coronary Bypass Surgery and a Five-Star Recipient for Carotid Procedures.

“To be ranked among the top 50 hospitals in the nation for cardiac surgery, as well as earning other heart and vascular awards, just shows the level of skill and dedication our cardiac team members have,” stated Laura Grill, president and CEO of East Alabama Health.

“It is an honor to be recognized as a leader in cardiac and vascular surgery. It’s a reminder of the commitment we have to our patients. We hope it offers them the peace of mind that comes with knowing they are in good hands while at EAMC. These awards are a reflection of our mission to provide ‘high-quality, compassionate health care.’”

Healthgrades evaluates hospital performance using a formula that takes the typical patient risks and outcomes from more than 45 million Medicare claims for nearly 4,500 hospitals nationwide, as well as patient survey data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to predict the patient outcome for each hospital. Hospitals are then given a star rating based on their actual patient outcomes in comparison to the predicted outcome.

Healthgrades evaluated patient mortality and complication rates for 31 of the most common conditions and procedures at nearly 4,500 hospitals across the country to identify the top-performing hospitals for specialty care. This year’s analysis revealed significant variation in patient outcomes between America’s 50 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Surgery and hospitals that did not receive this distinction. From 2019-2021, patients treated at hospitals receiving the America’s 50 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Surgery Award have, on average, a 56.0% lower risk of dying than if they were treated in hospitals that did not receive the award. Additionally, patients treated at hospitals which did not receive the America’s 50 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Surgery Award are, on average, 2.27 times more likely to die than if they were treated at hospitals that did receive the award. *

Cardiac surgeons practicing at EAMC perform approximately 350-400 procedures each year.

Healthgrades is the second organization to recognize EAMC’s cardiac services. In February, EAMC earned designation by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama as a Blue Distinction Centers+ for Cardiac Care. Blue Distinction Centers are nationally designated providers that have proven to deliver quality care with safe practices that lead to better health outcomes for patients.

“We commend East Alabama Medical Center for their ongoing commitment to providing high-quality care to patients undergoing cardiac and vascular procedures,” said Brad Bowman, MD, Chief Medical Officer and Head of Data Science at Healthgrades. “Consumers can feel confident that America’s 50 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Surgery have demonstrated their ability to deliver consistently exceptional outcomes.”

Consumers can visit Healthgrades.com to learn more about how Healthgrades measures hospital quality and access a patient-friendly overview of the complete methodology here.

*Statistics are based on Healthgrades analysis of MedPAR data for years 2019 through 2021 and represent three-year estimates for Medicare patients only. For appendectomy and bariatric surgery, Healthgrades used inpatient data from 16 states that provide all-payer data for years 2019 through 2021. Click here to view the complete 2023 Specialty Excellence Awards and Ratings Methodology.

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About East Alabama Health

East Alabama Health encompasses East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika, EAMC-Lanier in Valley, the Spencer Cancer Center in Opelika, the Auburn Medical Pavilion and a host of other key medical clinic and practices that help provide a continuum of care to patients throughout an 11-county area. EAMC is a 314-bed regional referral hospital with a 26-bed Skilled Nursing Facility, while EAMC-Lanier provides inpatient services as well as a nursing home, an acute rehab unit, senior behavioral health and an ambulatory surgery center. East Alabama Health employs about 3,500 employees and is the second largest employer in the region, trailing only Auburn University. For more information, visit www.eastalabamahealth.org.

About Healthgrades

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Healthgrades Contact: Maria Santucci