Shannon Medical Center | Health Beat | Winter 2019

News S hannon Medical Center was recently named one of the nation’s 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals by IBM Watson Health TM .The Watson Health 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals™ study is now in its 20th year.This is the first time Shannon has been recognized with this honor. “We have an amazing team throughout our organization that focuses on working together to provide exceptional care to our patients and provide the very best possible outcomes,” says Shane Plymell, President and CEO of Shannon. “This is a tremen- dous honor that organizations cannot ap- ply or pay for to achieve—it is truly based on the care we provide to our patients each day. I am proud to say those we serve in West Texas are receiving the same, or bet- ter, care here at home as they could receive in a larger, metropolitan area.This is the heart of our Shannon mission.” Last year, Shannon performed almost 2,600 cardiac catheterizations and more than 150 open-heart surgeries. Its team of interventional cardiologists and cardiovas- cular surgeons provide 24-hour coverage each day to ensure timely and efficient care for the patients in the Concho Valley. “This is validation of what we’ve been trying to do at Shannon, and that is to recruit and retain the very best physicians that we can,” says Len Mertz, Managing Trustee of the Shannon Estate. “We put the best people around them, the support staff that are true pros, and provide the facilities and the equipment that they need to do cutting edge work so families, friends and neighbors in West Texas don’t have to go to Houston or Dallas or San Antonio. They can stay right here and get the best.” The Watson Health 50 Top Cardiovas- cular Hospitals study uses objective public data and proprietary analytics to evaluate hospital and health system performance, and is renowned for its independence and integrity in the industry.The study rec- ognizes cardiovascular hospitals that have clearly demonstrated top performance in care, efficiency and community value and ability to drive consistent, outstanding per- formance versus the performance of indus- try peers. IBM Watson Health estimates if all cardiovascular providers in the U.S. performed at the level of this year’s win- ners, results industry-wide could amount to: over 10,300 additional lives saved, $1.8 billion saved, and 2,800 additional bypass and angioplasty patients could be complication-free. “Cardiovascular disease is among the most widespread and costliest diseases in the U.S., with an annual price tag of roughly $317 billion. It is estimated that cardiovascular disease accounts for approx- imately $1 out of every $6 spent on health care in the country.That’s why it is so criti- cal that hospitals find new and innovative ways to deliver better care at a lower cost,” says Ekta Punwani, 100 Top Hospitals® program leader at IBM Watson Health. “The winning hospitals in our study have established the new benchmark for cardiac care performance by driving consistently better outcomes at a lower cost per case than non-winning hospitals.” Best technology for heart care The new seven-story tower expansion at Shannon Medical Center is nearing completion. Shannon recently revealed its new Cardiac Catheterization Lab and Hybrid Operating Room, which opened to patients in December. The new Hybrid Operating Room is located in the OR expansion on the 3rd floor. The Hybrid Room provides the most high-tech imaging available in medicine, adding even more precision for advanced, minimally invasive heart and vascular treatment. In addition, it allows for the growth and the addition of more intricate therapies in the future for heart, vascular, neuro and orthopedic care. The Cardiac Catheterization Lab, now located on the 4th floor of the tower, features a dedicated wait- ing room for patients and their loved ones; larger, individual rooms for patients for preparation and recovery; and an additional third procedure room to increase patient access. Testing and treatment are now consolidated into one place for patient conve- nience, and it also features a state-of-the-art imag- ing system for even more precise treatment. These rooms, along with the entire tower expansion, are part of an ongoing Shannon Trustee and Board vision complementing Shannon’s doctors and their patients with the most advanced equipment and facilities to be found at any medical facility. Shannon named one of the nation’s 50 Top Heart Hospitals Hybrid Operating Room Cardiac Cath Lab Winter 2019 3