Which Hospital Is Right For Your Heart?

The best time to select a hospital is before you need cardiac care. Here are some guidelines to use in determining our new Heart Institute is right for you: Credentials, Experience, Range of Services, Participation in Research and Education, Patient-satisfaction and outcome.

Start with your doctor. Your physician will help you understand what’s available at the new St. Joseph and what the advantage of being treated there are. Because not all hospitals accept all types of insurance, your doctor’s office can verify which facilities accept your insurance, HMO or PPO plan.

Find out how hospitals rates. Quality rating information is available from several reputable and objective sources. The following information also will help you in your choice of hospitals.

Find out how many procedures they have done. The more times the hospital staff has performed a particular procedure, the better. Ask about the hospital’s success record, also known as outcomes, for your procedure. Outcomes measures will include mortality rates, complication rates and more.

Ask how often the hospital’s cardiac team works. When it comes to surgery, teamwork is crucial. You want to know that your heart team has worked together many times.