Keck Hospital of USC was one of only two hospitals in all of California to perform better than the state average for a specific combination of heart procedures in the most recently released California Report on Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) Surgery.

CABG is one of the most commonly performed heart surgeries, and when combined with a valve operation, the potential risks of the procedure are increased. California’s Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development tracks outcomes of combined CABG-valve surgeries as an important quality indicator for both hospitals and individual surgeons.

Keck Hospital’s performance was recognized as better than the state average for CABG procedures that were combined with valve replacements and repairs.

The report covers 126 licensed hospitals in California and 276 adult cardiac surgeons for 2015–2016, which is the most recent data available. It tracks mortality rates 30 days and 90 days after CABG and CABG-valve procedures.

Craig Baker, MD, chief of the division of cardiac surgery at Keck Medicine of USC and professor of clinical surgery (educational scholar) at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, was thrilled with the rating.

“It truly requires a coordinated team approach to provide excellence in patient care,” Baker said. “I want to thank all of our practitioners, including the coordinators, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, OR staff, anesthesiologists, nursing staff, intensivists, perfusionists and surgeons who made these results possible. I’m very proud of the team we have at Keck Medicine. Patient care is a journey and this reflects the whole team’s commitment to delivering superior care at every step.”

— Lex Davis