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Children’s heart program
ranked among best
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MUSC Children’s Hospital received top marks again for children’s heart
programs in national rankings compiled by U.S. News Media Group’s
2010 edition of America’s Best Children’s Hospitals.
The results, published online at http://www.usnews.com/childrenshospitals,
will be featured in the August issue of U.S. News & World Report,
available on newsstands July 27.
“We are indeed proud to be recognized again as one of the top
children’s hospitals nationally for heart and heart surgery,” said J.
Philip Saul, M.D., MUSC Children’s Hospital medical director and
director of pediatric cardiology. “We are particularly pleased by our
mortality ranking in the highest category (3 of 3), which only five of
the top 20 programs received. This indicates that children with complex
heart conditions requiring surgery are more likely to survive at MUSC
than almost any other program in the U.S.”
The Children’s Hospital’s heart program has obtained a 99 percent
30-day surgical survival rate for the last six years (2002-2008),
ranking it among the best in the world.
MUSC President Ray Greenberg, M.D., Ph.D., said that the children
of South Carolina are fortunate to have a heart health program that is
among the best in the nation. “The many patients and families served by
Dr. Saul and his colleagues know firsthand what a difference this kind
of care can make in their lives.”
MUSC physicians and surgeons use a variety of advanced imaging and
interventional techniques to optimize planning and treatment,
including: 3D echo, cardiac CT and MRI, diagnostic catheterization and
non-surgical interventions such as minimally invasive catheter
procedures to complement, postpone or even eliminate the need for
cardiac surgery.
John Sanders, Children’s Hospital administrator, said the
recognition provided by U.S. News & World Report shows the hard
work and passion that the team has for providing the best care possible
for the children it serves.
“When parents research the outcomes for various programs across the
country as they are looking for a center for their child, MUSC
Children’s Hospital is routinely high on their radar screens,” he
said. “We are very proud of the physicians and all the staff
involved in our Children’s Heart Program.”
The Children’s Heart Center supports family-centered comprehensive care
enhanced by one of the country’s only dedicated pediatric cardiac
intensive care units, designed for the critical care of all pediatric
cardiac cases including postoperative monitoring and management. A
multidisciplinary nursing team with expertise in caring for children
with heart defects minimizes discomfort and stress for every patient.
Other family support services such as child-life specialists further
enhance the patient’s experience. This team includes a statewide
network that supports children with heart disease.
More than 20 pediatric cardiologists throughout South Carolina and two
pediatric cardiac surgeons in Charleston provide coordinated care
unique to South Carolina through the Children’s Heart Program of South
Carolina. Cardiology groups are based in four locations—Charleston,
Columbia, Greenville and Florence—with outreach clinics in other
cities. All of the surgical and catheterization procedures are
performed in The Children’s Heart Center at the MUSC Children’s
Hospital. This system allows for the highest level of care by the
specialized teams while still assuring that most of the patient’s care
is delivered closer to home.
The 2010 America’s Best Children’s Hospitals, the most extensive
listing of its kind, includes an Honor Roll of 10 pediatric hospitals
ranked in all 10 specialties. Hospitals are ranked in cancer, diabetes
and endocrine disorders, digestive disorders, heart and heart surgery,
kidney disorders, neonatal care, neurology and neurosurgery,
orthopedics, respiratory disorders, and urology.
Friday, June 11,
2010
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