CHI St. Vincent Infirmary cardiovascular surgeons, part of the CHI St. Vincent Heart Institute, have received the highest rating for quality of care and outcomes for isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) procedures from the distinguished Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS). CABG procedures are used to treat coronary artery disease and only 6–10 percent of participating groups receive this highest three-star rating, placing the CHI St. Vincent Heart Institute among the elite cardiovascular surgery groups in the United States.

“Coronary artery disease is the most common form of heart disease and it is important that our patients know that they receive the very best possible care here in Arkansas with CHI St. Vincent,” said Marcia Atkisson, president of the CHI St. Vincent Heart Institute. “We offer the most advanced diagnostic techniques and cardiovascular technologies for our patients alongside nationally recognized surgical expertise.”

The STS star rating system is one of the most sophisticated and highly regarded overall measures of quality in health care and the three-star rating denotes the highest category of quality the system bestows. The star rating is calculated using a combination of quality measures for specific procedures performed by an STS Adult Cardiac Surgery Database participant. STS also recently recognized cardiovascular surgeons at CHI St. Vincent Infirmary with another three-star rating for mitral valve replacement and repair (MVRR) surgery with CABG.

“The Society of Thoracic Surgeons congratulates STS National Database participants who have received three-star ratings,” said David M. Shahian, MD, chair of the Task Force on Quality Measurement. “Participation in the Database and public reporting demonstrates a commitment to quality improvement in health care delivery and helps provide patients and their families with meaningful information to help them make informed decisions about health care.”

CHI St. Vincent Infirmary was recognized as the best hospital in Arkansas for cardiology and heart surgery in the 2020–21 Best Hospital Rankings from U.S. News & World Report. In February, CHI St. Vincent Heart Institute was also one of only two institutions recognized as a center of excellence for both Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) and Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair (MitraClip™) (TEER) heart procedures across the 142 hospital and 21 state CommonSpirit Health system. To learn more about the CHI St. Vincent Heart Institute or schedule an appointment, visit: chistvincent.com/heart