Mission News

Mission News

Two more significant recognitions have recently been added to the many awards won by Mission Heart Service over the past decade:

This is great news for Mission and the cardiologists and cardiovascular surgeons who built our programs, but the real question is, how much significance do they have for the heart patient?

The answer? Plenty. Both of these awards are based on rigorous clinical data - numbers that prove that our patients do better, with fewer complications, when they have heart surgery or are treated for heart conditions at Mission.

The national Society of Thoracic Surgeons again gave Mission its top, 3-star ranking, a ranking we have achieved every time since the recognition was founded. Hospitals are ranked on measures including death rate, complications, consistent use of "best practices" in medications, and the use of the internal mammary artery for bypass surgery.
Mission was named a "Blue Distinction CenterSM" for Cardiac Care by North Carolina Blue Cross and Blue Shield, based on nationally endorsed quality measures developed in collaboration with medical experts and professional organizations. Areas considered include volume of cases, treatment of heart attack and heart failure, percutaneous coronary interventions, and coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Complication and mortality rates are a major factor considered.
From our heart leaders

"These are one more affirmation of the excellence of Mission's cardiovascular surgeons and cardiologists, and the strength of our heart program," said. "The fact that it is based on data and best practices is assurance that this designation is a valid measure of a quality heart program."

- Karen Lemieux, Vice President of Heart Services

"We are proud that BlueCross BlueShield has chosen us for this prestigious program," said  "Mission has a history of providing leading-edge cardiac care to Western North Carolina, and programs such as Blue Distinction help us continue to evaluate and modify our services to maintain those excellent outcomes."

Cardiologist William Hathaway, MD, Mission service line leader for cardiology.

"In the realm of heart surgery, this is perhaps the most prestigious award that we could receive," said. "The designation criteria were developed by cardiovascular and thoracic surgeons themselves, using rigorous measures of quality. For decades - long before 'best practices' and 'outcomes' became buzzwords - the surgeons of Asheville Heart have been working with Mission Hospital to continually refine our procedures and systems of care to achieve excellent results. The STS designation is one more testament to the quality of heart services available here to the people of Western North Carolina." "This award not only represents the quality of surgery but it is a programmatic award that is supported by the outstanding level of nursing care provided, as evidenced by the Beacon Award which was bestowed on Mission's cardiac surgical ICU for outstanding quality and outcomes,"

Stephen W. Ely, PhD, M.D., service line leader for cardiovascular and thoracic surgery at Mission.

Learn more about Mission's heart program and the awards it has received over the years .