This time last year, Crozer-Chester Medical Center was recognized for clinical excellence for cardiac care by HealthGrades, the nation’s leading health care quality company. The 2007 ratings are in, and Crozer did even better.   

For the first time, Crozer was ranked among the top 5 percent of hospitals nationwide for cardiac surgery. Crozer was also given the best ranking among hospitals in the “Western Philadelphia” area, as defined by HealthGrades.

Once again, Crozer was ranked among the top 10 percent nationwide (and among the top 10 hospitals in Pennsylvania) for cardiac services. For being ranked better than 90 percent of all hospitals in the nation for cardiac care, Crozer earned one of HealthGrades’ inaugural Cardiac Care Excellence Awards.

Crozer was also again ranked among the top 10 percent nationally for coronary interventional procedures, and the medical center received five-star (out of five) ratings in three clinical areas related to cardiology: coronary interventional procedures, heart attack and valve replacement surgery.

Since 1992, Crozer’s dedicated heart surgery team has performed more than 3,000 surgeries with an excellent record of success. Among the surgeries performed include “off-pump” bypass surgery, repair of defective heart valves, and emergency or scheduled repairs of life-threatening conditions of the aorta.

Karl Grunewald, M.D., chief of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Crozer, says, “Crozer’s strong ratings from HealthGrades in cardiac surgery are a tribute to the commitment to excellence of the entire heart surgery team at Crozer. We work together to ensure patient safety and elicit good outcomes — giving our patients a chance to successfully return to the standard of living they enjoyed before surgery.”

For patients suffering from blocked arteries, Crozer offers the latest procedures in the area of interventional cardiology, performed in the medical center’s new cardiac catheterization labs. These procedures include cardiac catheterization, angioplasty (including emergency primary angioplasty), atherectomy, and stenting (including drug-eluting stents).

Ancil Jones, M.D., chief of the Division of Cardiology at Crozer, says, “We’re proud that our interventional cardiology program has again been recognized for excellence by HealthGrades. Our patients trust Crozer because of our experience. We’ve performed more than 17,000 cardiac catheterization procedures, more than 5,000 angioplasties and more than 1,000 primary angioplasties since we began performing these procedures in 1992.” 

Cardiac patients who are initially diagnosed at other Crozer-Keystone hospitals can return to those hospitals for post-procedure care and rehabilitation. In addition, cardiologists from other hospitals — such as Edward LaPorta, M.D., chief of the Section of Cardiology at DCMH, and Samuel Ruby, M.D., chief of the Section of Cardiology at Taylor — come to Crozer to perform procedures.  

“Crozer has always demonstrated a commitment to providing excellent cardiac care, and these new HealthGrades quality ratings validate that commitment,” says Joan K. Richards, president and chief operating officer of Crozer-Keystone Health System. “I salute all of the physicians, nurses and other employees who have worked together to create such an excellent program.”

For more information about cardiac services at Crozer-Chester Medical Center, or to schedule an appointment with a cardiologist, call 1-800-CK-HEALTH (1-800-254-3258).