White Plains, N.Y., December 12, 2023 – The Montefiore Cardiac Surgery Program at White Plains Hospital has earned a distinguished three-star rating, the highest quality rating awarded, from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) for its patient care and clinical outcomes in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) procedures. The three-star rating places the Montefiore Cardiac Surgery Program at White Plains Hospital among the top 10% for heart bypass surgery in the United States and Canada.
The STS star rating system is one of the most sophisticated and highly regarded overall measures of quality in healthcare, assessing the benchmarked outcomes of cardiothoracic surgery programs across the U.S. and Canada. It is the standard most respected by heart surgeons and cardiologists. The star rating is calculated using a combination of quality measures for specific procedures performed by an STS Adult Cardiac Surgery Database participant. A program receives three stars if its quality outcomes are statistically significantly better than the STS mean score; two stars if its quality outcomes are as expected; and one star if its quality outcomes are statistically significantly worse than the STS average.
The Montefiore Cardiac Surgery Program at White Plains Hospital launched in November 2021 under the leadership of Robert E. Michler, MD, Montefiore Health System Surgeon-in-Chief, Chairman, Department of Cardiothoracic & Vascular Surgery and Department of Surgery at Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
In addition to CABG, operations within the program include mitral valve repair and replacement, aortic valve replacement, combined CABG/valve procedures, minimally invasive heart surgery, and aortic aneurysm surgery.
“Receiving this recognition not only affirms the quality of care our patients can expect, but the tremendous success of the Montefiore Cardiac Surgery Program at White Plains Hospital in its first two years,” said Dr. Robert Michler. “I am extremely proud of our team for their dedication to achieving exceptional outcomes for patients needing comprehensive cardiac care in the tri-state area.” Dr. Michler performs every heart operation together with his experienced partner Dr. William A. Jakobleff, with whom he has performed thousands of heart surgeries.
“The Society of Thoracic Surgeons congratulates STS National Database participants who have received three-star ratings,” said David M. Shahian, MD, chair of the Task Force on Quality Measurement. “Participation in the Database and public reporting demonstrates a commitment to quality improvement in healthcare delivery and helps provide patients and their families with meaningful information to help them make informed decisions about healthcare.”
About White Plains Hospital
White Plains Hospital is a proud member of the Montefiore Health System, serving as its tertiary hub of advanced care in the Hudson Valley. The Hospital is a 292-bed not-for-profit health care organization with the primary mission of providing exceptional acute and preventive medical care to all people who live in, work in or visit Westchester County and its surrounding areas. White Plains Hospital has outpatient medical facilities across Westchester, including multispecialty practices in Armonk, Larchmont, New Rochelle, Rye Brook, Somers and Yorktown Heights; and Scarsdale Medical Group locations in Harrison and Scarsdale.
The Hospital is fully accredited by the Joint Commission and in 2023, White Plains Hospital received for the second consecutive time a 5-star rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) — the highest distinction offered by that federal agency. In addition, the Hospital received its third Magnet® designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), a distinction held by only two percent of hospitals in the country. White Plains Hospital has consistently received the Outstanding Patient Experience Award from Healthgrades®, and in 2023 became the only Hospital in Westchester to be awarded with an A Safety Grade from the Leapfrog Group for the 10th time.
https://www.wphospital.org/about/affiliations-accreditations-awards
About STS
The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) is a not-for-profit organization that represents more than 7,600 surgeons, researchers, and allied healthcare professionals worldwide who are dedicated to ensuring the best possible outcomes for surgeries of the heart, lung, and esophagus, as well as other surgical procedures within the chest. The Society’s mission is to enhance the ability of cardiothoracic surgeons to provide the highest quality patient care through education, research, and advocacy.