Kansas City,
17
February
2017
|
13:19 PM
America/Chicago

Heart Month Highlights: Children's Mercy among the first hospitals to participate in national STS public reporting of outcomes

Heart Center chart

Children's Mercy was one of the first pediatric cardiac surgery programs in the nation to voluntarily share surgical outcomes with the public via the Society of Thoracic Surgeons' (STS) website.

"That level of transparency is critical to quality improvement for patients, families and staff, as well as for pediatric heart surgery programs nationwide," Dr. James O'Brien said. Dr. O'Brien is the Co-Director of the Ward Family Heart Center and Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Children's Mercy.

Dr. O'Brien is a member of the Society's Congenital Heart Disease Database Task Force, as well as one of two auditors for the STS database. Today, of the approximately 120 pediatric heart surgery programs belonging to the database, about half voluntarily share data publicly. 

"At Children's Mercy, we have been early adopters of transparency," Dr. O'Brien said. "By evaluating this objective information, we have improved the care we provide patients and their families, helping us rank among the top programs in the country."

"Thanks to the STS database, everyone's outcomes have imrpoved, resulting in better patient care across the board," Dr. O'Brien said.

 

Learn more about The Ward Family Heart Center at Children's Mercy.

Learn more about STS reporting.