Saint Margaret Mercy Healthcare Centers

Saint Margaret Mercy named to Anthem’s
Indiana Coronary Services Quality Program

For Immediate Release
February 15, 2000
Contact: Maria E. Ramos
(219) 865-2141, ext. 45321
Maria.Ramos@ssfhs.org

Hammond, Ind. -- Saint Margaret Mercy Healthcare Centers is one of only 14 hospitals in Indiana named to the Coronary Services Quality program developed by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield. Selection by Anthem indicates a hospital has demonstrated experience and success in cardiovascular care.

“We are pleased that Anthem, based on high quality standards, has chosen to offer our facilities and services to its members,” said Gene Diamond, president and CEO of Saint Margaret Mercy. “Our world-class cardiac program is centered around a team of some of the finest, most respected cardiac and cardiovascular specialists in the nation.

“Their progressive efforts are supported by a highly-qualified nursing staff, state-of-the-art facilities and specialized diagnostic and treatment capabilities, all which complement our progressive approach to the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease,” Diamond added.

Dijuana Lewis, vice-president of Anthem’s Health Plan Management, is equally pleased with the partnership: “Anthem strives to provide quality cardiac care to our members

and welcomes those hospitals that meet the highest standards in providing cardiac services. We are pleased that Saint Margaret Mercy Healthcare Centers has achieved participation in Anthem’s Coronary Services Quality Program.”

The hospitals chosen for Anthem’s Coronary Services Quality Program undergo a rigorous evaluation process that includes on-site physicians’ office visits by Anthem's clinical staff and a comprehensive analysis of data submitted by the hospitals. Specifically, the hospital data analyzed includes:

Total number of cardiac procedures performed;
Number of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgeries with and without cardiac catherization;
Number of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) procedures performed;
Mortality rates for cardiac procedures, adjusted for the severity of patient illness;
Complication rates for cardiac procedures, adjusted for the severity of patient illness; and
Average post-operative length of stay in the hospital for patients with uncomplicated diagnoses, adjusted for the severity of patient illness.

Final selection of the hospitals is based on these and other factors. To remain a part of Anthem’s Coronary Services Quality Program, each participating hospital must continue to meet volume and clinical performance standards in terms of patient care and outcomes for cardiac procedures. Anthem analyzes each hospital’s data three years after it joins Anthem’s Coronary Services Quality Program.

Anthem then reevaluates the hospital every three years thereafter. If a hospital does not meet Anthem’s standards at any time, the hospital will be removed from participation in Anthem’s Coronary Services Quality Program.

Heart disease, which ranges from congenital heart defects to high blood pressure and hardening of the arteries, is the number-one cause of death in the United States. In fact, it accounts for nearly 42 percent, or 1 in 2.4 deaths, nationwide. According to the American Heart Association, more than 58 million Americans suffer from one or more forms of cardiovascular disease. These facts prompted Anthem to develop the Coronary Services Quality program.

“As is evident by the incidence of heart disease and deaths due to heart disease in Lake County, Anthem has an obligation to give our members access to the best possible cardiac care available,” said Dr. Samuel Cramer, Anthem’s medical director. “Anthem is pleased to partner with Saint Margaret Mercy Healthcare Centers to deliver high quality cardiac services to our members.”