Centegra Health System Performs 1,000th Cardiac Surgery at Hospital in McHenry
McHenry, IL (PRWEB) October 05, 2013 -- Centegra Hospital-McHenry’s cardiac surgery team performed its 1,000th surgery Oct. 4. The surgery was performed by Dr. Thomas Hinkamp, an independent board-certified cardiothoracic surgeon on the medical staff at Centegra. The patient was a 72-year-old man from McHenry.
“I congratulate Centegra Health System on this major milestone for cardiac care in our community,” Hinkamp said. “The health system has established a heart program that is widely recognized for its excellent patient outcomes and the 1,000th surgery reflects the impact this program has had on people in McHenry County. One thousand patients have received advanced cardiac surgeries close to their homes.”
The first open heart surgery in McHenry County was performed at Centegra Hospital-McHenry on Thursday, Oct. 27, 2006, when the cardiac surgery team performed bypass surgery on a female patient from Woodstock. Since then, the team has performed coronary artery bypass procedures, valve repairs and replacements and Cox Maze procedures on patients whose lives were forever changed.
“We are thrilled to celebrate the 1,000th cardiac surgery with our entire team,” said Rachel Sebastian, site administrator and vice president with Centegra Health System. “Since our first surgery, our cardiac care services have continued to grow to meet the changing needs of our community.”
In addition to advanced cardiac surgeries, Centegra has 29 cardiologists on its medical staff, including four who are part of its employed physician practice, Centegra Physician Care. They collaborate with nurses and other associates to ensure patients receive exceptional care from the emergency department all the way through Centegra’s well-known cardiac rehabilitation programs.
Centegra’s cardiac services include physicians, accredited chest pain centers, cardiac diagnostics, the catheterization laboratory, surgery, nursing, rehabilitation and the heart failure center.
“Hundreds of Centegra associates are counted as members of the cardiac team and each of their contributions has been essential to developing this strong program,” Sebastian said. “Every associate should be proud of the 1,000th surgery milestone. It reflects our commitment to providing our patients state-of-the-art care right here in McHenry County.”
In the past months, Centegra Hospital-McHenry has received three notable awards for excellence in cardiovascular care. The hospital was one of just 197 hospitals nationwide to receive the Get With the Guidelines Platinum Performance Achievement Award for 2013 from the American College of Cardiology Foundation’s NCDR ACTION Registry. To achieve this award, its cardiovascular services team met rigorous criteria that are based on nationally recognized medical standards. Centegra Hospital-McHenry achieved a score of 90 percent or greater for either ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) or non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) records. This award signifies that Centegra’s team of health care professionals has reached an aggressive goal of treating these patients at high levels of care as outlined by the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association clinical guidelines and recommendations.
Centegra Hospital-McHenry is the only hospital in a more than 20-mile radius to be recognized by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois as one of the first hospitals in the nation to receive a Blue Distinction Center+ designation in the area of cardiac care. Blue Distinction Centers are hospitals shown to deliver quality specialty care based on objective, transparent measures for patient safety and health outcomes that were developed with input from the medical community. These hospitals must also show better cost efficiency relative to their peers. Only those facilities that first meet Blue Distinction’s nationally established, objective quality measures are considered for designation as a Blue Distinction Center+.
Centegra Hospital-McHenry has also received the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline Bronze Quality Achievement Award. The award recognizes Centegra Hospital-McHenry’s commitment and success in implementing a high standard of care for heart attack patients. Hospitals involved in Mission: Lifeline are part of a system that makes sure STEMI patients get the right care they need as quickly as possible. Mission: Lifeline focuses on improving the system of care for those patients and at the same time improving care for all heart attack patients.
“Centegra Health System’s cardiac program was built to provide superior services and to advance as health care changes,” Hinkamp said. “Today’s 1,000th cardiac surgery is an opportunity to celebrate this program’s great past and at the same time look to the future of cardiac care in our region. We are so proud to provide this level of care to our community.”
About Centegra Health System
Centegra Health System is committed to meeting the health care needs of the residents of greater McHenry County and to making services available in multiple and convenient locations, including hospitals in McHenry and Woodstock, Immediate and Physician Care Centers, Centegra Sage Cancer Center and Health Bridge Fitness Centers.
As the region’s leading health care provider, Centegra Health System continues to bring the latest treatments and technology, along with the skills of nearly 4,000 medical professionals, to meet the needs of the growing McHenry County community. For more information on Centegra Health System, visit centegra.org, search Centegra Health System on Facebook and Twitter or call 877-CENTEGRA (877-236-8347).
Kim Kubiak, Centegra Health System, http://www.centegra.org, 815-355-7039, [email protected]
Share this article