High quality, high rating: Heart bypass surgery at Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville recognized for excellent outcomes

Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville received its first three-star rating from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) for excellent patient care and outcomes in isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) procedures.

CABG, also commonly referred to as “bypass surgery,” is a procedure used to improve blood flow to the heart for people with severe blockages in critical arteries that connect to the heart.

The three-star rating, which denotes the highest category of quality, places Baptist Jacksonville among the elite for heart bypass surgery in the United States and Canada. The analysis of data for the recognition covers a three-year period from January 2020 to December 2022.

“Quality comes first. That’s why receiving a three-star designation from STS is such an honor for the entire team here at the Heart Hospital of Baptist Jacksonville – from our surgical team dedicated to cardiovascular surgery, to the experts who serve in our Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit, the nursing floors and diagnostic testing departments– they are each focused on high quality and compassionate care,” said Nicole B. Thomas, FACHE, hospital president of Baptist Jacksonville.

According to STS, the star rating system is “one of the most sophisticated and highly regarded overall measures of quality in health care, rating the benchmarked outcomes of cardiothoracic surgery programs in the United States and Canada.” The rating is calculated using rigorous quality measures.

Surgeons at Baptist Jacksonville who perform isolated CABG procedures include Nathan Bates, MD, and John Pirris, MD. Peter Bolan, MD, will join the team in August 2023.

Approximately 20% of participants receive the three-star rating for isolated CABG surgery.

“We want people in the Jacksonville community and surrounding areas to know that Baptist Health is the place to come for heart surgery. This rating is an honor and testament to the work of the entire team here,” said Nathan Bates, MD, who has been chief of cardiac surgery at Baptist Jacksonville since 2019. “Patients and their loved ones can rest assured knowing we provide quality care. We’re also a high-volume center that treats hundreds of patients every year who rely on us for complex heart surgery.”

Cardiothoracic surgeries at Baptist Jacksonville are performed by surgeons employed by Cardiothoracic & Vascular Surgical Associates. Physicians providing care at Baptist Health hospitals are not employees or agents of the hospital.