THE WOODLANDS, TEXAS (December 7, 2016) – Four Memorial Hermann hospitals have been collectively named among the nation’s 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals by Truven Health Analytics,TM an IBM company.

Memorial Hermann Greater Heights Hospital, Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital, Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital and Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Hospital, have been named among the 50 top Cardiovascular Hospitals eight times.

The Truven study, now in its 18th year, singled out 50 hospitals that achieved superior clinical, operational and financial performance in this critical area of hospital care. As is the case with the Truven Health 100 Top Hospitals® study, the rigorous processes used to calculate and measure hospital service lines leverage public data sources and risk-adjusted methodologies developed and maintained by Truven Health scientists over many years. The 100 Top Hospitals study is well-regarded for evaluating leadership impact in a hospital, as well as for evaluating quality indicators and efficiencies.

“These four hospitals have exhibited great diligence in providing the exceptional end-to-end patient care experiences that have become part of the Memorial Hermann Health System culture,” said Dr. Angela A. Shippy, Senior Vice President, Chief Quality Officer, Memorial Hermann Health System. “Truven is known for establishing high standards of excellence and we are extremely proud to once again be recognized among the best of the best.”

The Truven Health 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals study measures performance in key performance areas: risk-adjusted mortality, risk-adjusted complications, core measures (a group of measures that assess process of care), percentage of coronary bypass patients with internal mammary artery use, 30-day mortality rates, 30-day readmission rates, severity-adjusted average length of stay, and wage- and severity-adjusted average cost. The study has been conducted annually since 1999.

To determine the 50 top U.S. hospitals for heart care, Truven Health researchers analyzed 2014 and 2015 Medicare Provider Analysis and Review (MedPAR) data, 2015 (2014 when 2015 was not available) Medicare cost reports, and the Hospital Compare dataset published in the second quarter of 2016 by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

Truven estimates that if all cardiovascular providers in the United States performed at the level of this year's winners, more than 9,000 additional lives could be saved, more than 6,000 more heart patients could be complication-free and more than $1.4 billion could be saved in medical costs.

More information on this study and other 100 Top Hospitals research is available at 100tophospitals.com.

For more information about Memorial Hermann and its services, go to www.memorialhermann.org or call 713-222-CARE (2273).