Rio Grande Regional Hospital has earned a distinguished three-star rating from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons for its patient care and outcomes in aortic valve replacement combined with coronary artery bypass grafting. The three-star rating, which denotes the highest quality category, places RGRH among the elite for AVR+CABG surgery in the United States and Canada. Rio Grande Regional Hospital is the only hospital in south Texas to currently hold a three-star rating.

“A three-star rating denotes the highest ranking and demonstrates the orchestrated care between the physicians and the clinical care teams,” said Laura Disque, chief executive officer at Rio Grande Regional Hospital. “Upon admission through patient discharge, we implement a consistent, streamlined, highly-successful process that promotes quality and safety. I am proud of our culture of collaboration and the team’s well-deserved recognition.”

The STS star rating system is one of the most sophisticated and highly regarded overall quality measures in health care. The system rates the benchmarked outcomes of cardiothoracic surgery programs in the United States and Canada. The star rating is determined using a combination of quality measures for specific procedures performed by an STS Adult Cardiac Surgery Database participant.

An Elite Distinction

Historically, approximately four to seven percent of participants receive a three-star rating for AVR+CABG surgery. The latest analysis of data for AVR+CABG surgery covers three years. 

“This distinction is a testament to our hospital’s commitment to continuous improvement and our medical staff’s experience with best practices resulting in a high standard of care for our community,” said Adriana Gomez, MD, chief medical officer of Rio Grande Regional Hospital. “Dr. Jaime Villarreal and Dr. Lester Dyke, have demonstrated a commitment to quality in cardiovascular and thoracic surgery in the Rio Grande Valley and have led us in this three-star rating recognition.”

Villarreal is a board-certified cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon, and Dyke a board-certified cardiothoracic surgeon. 

“We are very proud of the accomplishments of the cardiac surgery team at Rio Grande Regional Hospital, and we look forward to continuing our efforts to maintain this excellent rating,” said Dr. Villarreal.

“The Society of Thoracic Surgeons congratulates STS National Database participants who have received a three-star rating,” 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 provides patients and their families with meaningful information to help them make informed healthcare decisions.”