St. Francis Hospital has been named one of America’s Best Hospitals for Heart Care and one of America’s Best Stroke Centers by Women’s Choice Award, America’s trusted referral source for the best in healthcare. The award signifies that St. Francis Hospital is in the top tier of the nation’s 4,789 hospitals offering heart care and stroke services.
 
Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of American women, causing 1 in 3 deaths each year—approximately one woman every minute, according to the American Heart Association. What’s often thought of as a “man’s disease” actually strikes more women than men. Additionally, stroke is the third leading cause of death for women (in comparison, it’s the fifth leading cause of death for men), according to the National Stroke Association. Each year 55,000 more women have a stroke than men. Because in general women live longer than men, stroke will have a more negative impact on their lives.
 
The methodology used to select America’s Best Hospitals for Heart Care includes:
 
• The number of cardiac/vascular services offered. Recognized hospitals must offer at least six of the following services: Cardiac Catheter Lab, Cardiac Rehabilitation, Cardiac Surgery, Carotid Stenting, Coronary Interventions, Electrophysiology, Vascular Interventions, Vascular Surgery and Coronary Intensive Care. St. Francis provides all of these.

• 30-Day mortality and readmission rates for heart attack and failure

• Patient recommendation ratings on the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Survey

• Primary research about women’s healthcare preferences as related to the hospital’s patient satisfaction scores
 
For stroke care recognition, to be considered hospitals must first hold an Advanced or Comprehensive Stroke Center Certification from The Joint Commission, with only 1,166 hospitals meeting this requirement. After a hospital has met this requirement, it must then meet or exceed the following performance measures from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services:

·         The time from emergency department arrival to head CT scan results (top 80% nationally),

·         The time from first symptoms to receiving thrombolytic therapy (top 80% nationally),

·         Provision of stoke education for patient and family before discharge (top 80% nationally),

·         Patient recommendation scores above the national average,

·         Rated Better or No Different than the U.S. National Rate for 30-day mortality measure, and

·         Rated Better or No Different than the U.S. National Rate for 30-day readmission measure.
 
“These two awards demonstrate the tremendous commitment and expertise of St. Francis Hospital’s caregivers to ensuring that our cardiac and stroke patients receive the best possible care and treatment,” said David Koontz, Chief Executive Officer.“Heart disease and stroke are among the biggest health threats that women will face.  In addition to providing the most comprehensive and compassionate care, we are committed to teaching both women and men how to reduce their risks of heart attack and stroke.”
 
As the region’s cardiac hospital, St. Francis provides a comprehensive range of cardiovascular services, including the only open-heart surgery service. St. Francis was the first hospital in Georgia to earn The Joint Commission’s Acute Coronary Syndrome Care certification. In 2016, the hospital entered into an affiliation with the Emory Clinic’s Cardiothoracic Surgery Program.