VIRGINIA CARDIAC READMISSION RATES FALL FOR 5TH YEAR IN A ROW


Virginia Health Information (VHI) has published its annual Cardiac Care Report to help consumers compare the quality of care in Virginia's acute hospitals, learn more about heart disease and find doctors who treat it. Offered as a free, online, searchable tool, the Cardiac Care Report is a valuable resource for patients and caregivers seeking information about their heart care options prior to a planned medical procedure. 

Visitors can use the report to compare five years of the most recent t mortality and readmission rates for 73 Virginia hospitals. Statewide summaries reflect all cardiac discharges from acute hospitals spanning medical cardiology, invasive cardiology and open-heart surgery. "We are happy to see Virginia readmission rates decline overall for the fifth year in a row. However, data shows Medicare patients had 30-day readmission rates higher than expected. We hope federal programs such as the Hospital Readmission Reduction Program (HRRP) may help lower rates for this population in the future," says Michael Lundberg, VHI's Chief Executive Officer. 

Key findings from this year's Cardiac Care Report show:

  • Patients between the ages of 30-39 had the largest increase in mortality rates
  • Patients with Medicaid had mortality rates lower than expected
  • Patients between the ages of 60-79 had 30-day readmission rates higher than expected

To view the full Cardiac Care Report, visit www.vhi.org/cardiac.

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