The Marshfield Clinic/Ministry Health Care heart surgery program at Saint Clare’s Hospital, Weston, continues to surpass national quality benchmark averages of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS).

Founded in 1964, cardiothoracic surgeons represented by STS are among the longest trained and most highly skilled in medicine. It is a not-for-profit organization representing more than 5,600 surgeons, researchers, and allied health care professionals worldwide.

In 1989, the Society founded the STS National Database to collect clinical quality data and provide feedback to surgeons to improve quality nationwide. Today, the STS National Database contains more than 3 million records.

“These outstanding results are something we all can take great pride in,” said Saint Clare’s Hospital President Mary Krueger. “We have worked hard to continue this high-quality program here in Weston that allows our patients to get on the road to recovery quicker with fewer complications.”

According to the STS Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery Statistics from 2007, heart surgery patients at Saint Clare’s Hospital spent 53 percent less time in intensive care following surgery and had nearly 40 percent fewer days in the hospital than national averages. In addition, the Weston-based facility had no reported infections, zero neurological complications, spent less time on ventilators, had fewer major complications and required fewer blood transfusions than national averages.

“We were fortunate that many in our heart program had years of experience with the well-established program at Saint Joseph’s Hospital in Marshfield,” said Krueger. “It is rewarding to continue the evolution of our heart care program in Weston with solid clinical and patient satisfaction data that show that Saint Clare’s is producing outcomes above or the same as some of the most prestigious health care facilities in the country,” Added Krueger.

After several years of providing patient care in Wausau, Marshfield Clinic Cardiovascular Surgeon Chong Chin Lee, M.D., performed the first open-heart surgery on the Weston campus in October 2006, more than 300 heart surgery procedures have been completed.

“These results reflect the main goal of our program, which is to provide outstanding care and results for our patients,” added Lee. “We have been able to achieve these results because of the commitment and dedication of many talented people across all levels of our systems.”

The Marshfield Clinic and Ministry Health Care heart care team is a cooperative effort by two leading health care organizations working together as a single leading team. For over 90 years, this has enabled the team to deliver the very highest level of care available in the region. It is the heart care team chosen more often than any other local program, treating more of the most complex cases and conducting more research into leading edge heart care treatments. The team is made up of primary care physicians, cardiologists, cardiovascular surgeons, researchers, and other physicians and staff located at 41 hospitals and clinics.