Newswise — ORLANDO, Fla. (February 1, 2017) --- Orlando Health received its fourth consecutive Overall 3 Star Rating from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons for providing excellent care to patients undergoing bypass surgery as well as a fourth consecutive 3 Star rating for care delivered to patients having a lobectomy for lung cancer. The organization also received its second consecutive 3 star rating for aortic valve surgery. For the first time the organization received an Overall 3 Star Rating for aortic valve replacement with bypass surgery.

The 3 Star Rating, the highest achievable, is a quality score based on hospital statistics and outcomes in the Society’s Adult Cardiac Surgery Database and the Society’s General Thoracic Surgery Database. The most recent evaluation period is July 2015 through June 2016 for bypass surgery, July 2013 to June 2016 for aortic valve replacement, July 2013 to June 2016 for aortic valve replacement with bypass surgery, and July 2013 through June 2016 for lung cancer surgery.

“The quality ratings reflect our ongoing commitment and efforts to ensure we deliver excellent cardiac surgical care for our patients,” said Jeffrey Bott, MD, a cardiothoracic surgeon at the Orlando Health Heart Institute and chair of the department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Orlando Health’s Orlando Regional Medical Center. “It is important for us to remain committed to quality and transparency to give patients the information and assurance they need when they choose our program. We are proud to be in the top ten percent in the nation as judged by peers for avoiding complications and mortality, and for providing proper medication administration.”

The Heart Institute’s success in cardiac surgery performance is the result of expertise, experience, collaboration, and a voluntary, self-run quality council. The council — comprised of surgeons, nurses, pharmacists, respiratory therapists, infection control specialists, risk managers, administrators, doctors and other team members — works diligently on various quality improvement initiatives and care reviews for each of our processes including pre-surgical preparation, surgical management, avoidance of complications and death and post-surgical medical management.

The Overall 3 Star Rating for bypass surgery represents four areas of quality:1. Absence of Mortality (Deaths)2. Absence of Morbidity (Complications)3. Use of Internal Mammary Arteries (Arteries located in the chest and commonly used in bypass surgery because they have been shown to have the best long-term results.)4. Medications (Appropriate perioperative (before, during and after) medication usage.)

The cardiac database was established in 1989 as an initiative for quality improvement and patient safety among cardiothoracic surgeons. The Adult Cardiac Surgery Database, now contains more than 6 million surgical records, represents an estimated 90 percent of all adult cardiac surgery centers across the United States.The thoracic surgery program at UF-Health Cancer Center - Orlando Health has participated in The Society of Thoracic Surgeons General Thoracic Surgery Database since 2007.

"It is a great honor to be recognized by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons – an organization focused on the development of leadership in quality, research, and patient safety,” said Luis Herrera, MD, thoracic surgeon UF Health Cancer Center - Orlando Health. “This recognition speaks to the persistent level of dedication our team places on ensuring our patients are receiving the highest quality of care. It furthers our program’s continuing leadership in areas such as minimally invasive and robotic surgery.”

The Overall 3 Star Rating for lobectomy represents two areas of quality outcomes:1. Absence of Mortality (Deaths)2. Absence of Major Complication

About Orlando Health Orlando Health is a $2.6 billion not-for-profit health care organization and a community-based network of physician practices, hospitals, and outpatient care centers throughout Central Florida. The organization is home to the area’s only Level One Trauma Centers for adults and pediatrics and is a statutory teaching hospital system that offers both specialty and community hospitals. More than 2,000 physicians have privileges at Orlando Health, which is also one of the area’s largest employers with more than 18,000 employees who serve nearly 2 million Central Florida residents and more than 4,500 international patients annually. Additionally, Orlando Health provides more than $204 million in support of community health needs. More information can be found at http://www.orlandohealth.com.

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