USA Health Providence Hospital awarded highest scores for cardiac care

By Michelle Ryan
mryan@health.southalabama.edu 

USA Health Providence Hospital is earning high marks for its cardiac care from the American College of Cardiology (ACC).

As a participating facility in the CathPCI Registry, which assesses the characteristics, treatments and outcomes of cardiac disease patients who receive diagnostic catheterization and/or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures, USA Health Providence earned four stars – the highest marks across the board – for the first time, according to Michelle Swearingen, RN, BSN, quality and performance coordinator for the hospital.

“Achieving a score of four stars (the highest) on every measure recognizes that USA Providence demonstrates a commitment to a comprehensive, high-quality culture in the care of cardiovascular patients,” she said. “I am so proud of our cardiac team for their hard work and dedication to ensure our patients get the best care.”

For the assessment, 617 patients with coronary artery disease were measured and scored on four different metrics to ensure they had received all recommended medications to reduce the chance of blood clots and decrease cholesterol after undergoing a PCI in 2023.

USA Health Providence achieved four out of four stars on each of the following:

• The proportion of patients who were prescribed aspirin to reduce the chance of blood clots at discharge;
• The proportion of stent patients who were prescribed P2Y12 inhibitor to reduce the chance of blood clots after PCI at discharge;
• The proportion of patients who were prescribed a statin to decrease cholesterol after PCI at discharge; and
• The proportion of eligible PCI patients who were prescribed all recommended medications (aspirin, a statin and a P2Y12 inhibitor) to reduce the chance of blood clots and decrease cholesterol at discharge.

Established by the ACC in 1998, the registry collects data on clinical, process, and outcome measures, including characteristics, treatments, and outcomes. 

“Transparent data reporting allows us to fully understand performance outcomes and areas for improvement,” Swearingen said. “We have a clinical/surgical service line (CSSL) high reliability organizational work group (HROW), where all stakeholders come together to improve patient safety, provide more reliable healthcare, and work toward continuous improvement in operational excellence.”

She praised the cath lab team, which is under the direction of Julie Groom, cardiologists and their teams, and CVICU manager Sasha Johnston, who leads a team of nurses. Additional members of the HROW include: Rick Metzger, director of surgery, assistant administrator and interim CEO; Ijaz Iqbal, M.D., chief medical officer; John Stone Jr., M.D., associate CMO; Ann Doss, RN, BSN, MS, CIC, director of quality management and infection prevention; and Katrina Brown, DNP, RN, NE-BC, PCCN-K, chief nursing officer. 

Participation in the CathPCI Registry, which is available for any facility that performs PCI, provides decision-making information that helps facilities focus on appropriate use of PCI, reduce avoidable bleeding complications, identify areas of excellence and opportunities for improvement, and validate use of best practices.

The ACC lists USA Health Providence and other hospitals that participate in quality improvement efforts that collect data about performance to ensure patients get the best care on its “Find Your Heart a Home” web tool. There, patients can search for hospitals based on location, available cardiac services and important information related to the quality of care provided to select the right hospital for their needs.