Milwaukee, Wis. — Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center in Milwaukee and Aurora BayCare Medical Center in Green Bay have each been named among the 100 Top Hospitals for cardiovascular care by Thomson Reuters. This is the first time Aurora Health Care has had two hospitals receive this recognition, which was announced in the latest issue of Modern Healthcare.

“It is a tremendous honor to be recognized as one of the best in the country,” says Mary O’Brien, St. Luke’s chief administrative officer. “This reflects the experience and expertise of the physicians who practice at St. Luke’s and the quality of our clinical staff.”

While it was the fifth time Aurora St. Luke’s earned this recognition, it was a first for Aurora BayCare.

“This achievement acknowledges the talented, dedicated caregivers who make sure patients get not only the best evidence-based medicine, but medicine that is delivered with a personal touch,” says Daniel Meyer, Aurora BayCare’s chief administrative officer.

Award winners had higher survival rates, kept more patients complication-free and achieved these results at a lower cost than other hospitals.

The study - 100 Top Hospitals: Cardiovascular Benchmarks - examined the performance of 971 hospitals by analyzing outcomes for patients with heart failure and heart attacks and for those who received coronary bypass surgery or percutaneous cardiovascular interventions (PCI) such as angioplasties.

The study, in its 11th year, found that the 100 Top Hospitals cardiovascular winners have:

• 17 percent lower mortality rates for heart attack patients.
• 10 percent lower mortality rates for heart failure patients.
• 27 percent lower mortality for bypass surgery patients.
• 22 percent lower mortality following PCI.
• Fewer post-operative complications - 99 percent of patients were complication-free.
• Close to 12 percent shorter average hospital stay.
• 12 percent lower cost per case.

The top performing hospitals perform over 50 percent more cardiac surgeries than peer hospitals.

Aurora Health Care is a not-for-profit Wisconsin health care provider and a national leader in efforts to improve the quality of health care. Aurora offers care at sites in more than 90 communities throughout eastern Wisconsin.

# # #

Contact: Myrle Croasdale
Phone: 414-649-3917

Contact: Kristine Lillie
Phone: 920-496-6365