Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital Ranked
Number 5 by U.S. News & World Report
The Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital (THI at SLEH) is on the rise.
In its annual ranking of "America's Best Hospitals," U.S.News & World Report has ranked THI at SLEH among the top ten centers for heart and heart surgery for the 19th consecutive year. This year's ranking is number five (5)—up from number seven (7) a year ago.
Of the almost 4,900 hospitals in the nation, only 174 were of high-enough quality to be ranked in even a single specialty this year. It should also be noted that THI at SLEH is the only heart center in the Southwest to be listed in the top ten.
The 2009 top-ranked heart centers are: 1) Cleveland Clinic; 2) Mayo Clinic; 3) Johns Hopkins Hospital; 4) Massachusetts General Hospital; 5) Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital; 6) Brigham and Women's Hospital; 7) New York-Presbyterian University Hospital of Columbia and Cornell; 8) Duke University Hospital Medical Center; 9) Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania; and 10) Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.
Unlike other rankings and reports, the U.S.News & World Report looks at how well centers do in complex and demanding situations. The recognized centers fit a certain mold. They are often referral centers because their physicians see sicker patients and do higher volumes of difficult procedures. They follow and often propose advanced treatment guidelines. They conduct research that migrates from the labs and computer databases to the bedside. And they take advantage of improvements in imaging, surgical devices and other technologies.
As Dr. Willerson, President and Medical Director of THI, said in the news release, "We are thrilled to be ranked number 5 in the U.S. in heart and heart surgery by U.S.News & World Report for 2009. This is an improvement from 2008 when THI at SLEH ranked number 7. We have now been ranked in the top ten for 19 consecutive years, which is a great tribute to the doctors, nurses, scientists, support staff, and all of our friends who support our efforts to cure and ultimately prevent heart and vascular disease in humans. We are extremely grateful to the governing boards of THI and SLEH for their consistent support, encouragement, and leadership on our behalf."
For more information about the rankings, visit http://health.usnews.com/besthospitals.
