Highest quality rating: Heart bypass surgery at Baptist Jacksonville recognized for excellent outcomes

Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville has received a three-star rating from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) for excellent patient care and outcomes in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) procedures, used to improve blood flow to the heart for people with severe blockages.

The three-star rating, which denotes the highest category of quality for isolated CABG surgery, places the Heart Hospital at Baptist Jacksonville among the elite for heart bypass surgery in the United States and Canada. Only about 20% of STS participants receive this rating.

“Quality comes first. That’s why receiving a three-star designation from STS is such an honor for the entire team – from our cardiovascular surgical team, to the experts in our Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit, 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; initial data analysis covered January 2020 - December 2020 and data is refreshed every six months.

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.

“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.