OhioHealth Earns Top National Rating for Interventional Cardiology Care

OhioHealth Earns Top National Rating for Interventional Cardiology Care

Key Takeaways:

• OhioHealth earned national recognition for interventional cardiology care, with top ratings highlighting strong patient outcomes and teamwork across EMS and hospital care teams.
• OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital is the only hospital among the nation's 20 highest-volume PCI centers to earn the American College of Cardiology's highest four-star rating.
• Riverside Methodist and OhioHealth Marion General Hospital are among just 11 Ohio hospitals to receive four stars.
• All seven OhioHealth hospitals included in the data earned three or four stars, with a combined score above the statewide average.
• The ratings reflect patient outcomes and care practices, supported by collaboration among EMS, emergency departments and hospital care teams.

OhioHealth's interventional cardiology program has earned top honors in the American College of Cardiology's latest Quality of Care Composite data. OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital stands as the only hospital in the United States among the top 20 highest-volume percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) centers to achieve the highest possible four-star rating.

This recognition sets Riverside Methodist apart nationally. As the highest-volume PCI center in Ohio and the 14th busiest nationally, it is the only program among the nation's busiest centers to secure a four-star composite rating. This distinction reflects a unique combination of high patient volume and consistently exceptional quality of care.

"This recognizes quality of an institution for its ability to provide care to patients with heart disease specifically those who need interventions for heart attacks or coronary artery disease," Arash Arshi, MD, OhioHealth interventional cardiologist said. "This is not a popularity contest, this is not something that's based on an institution's reputation, it's completely an objective score that takes into account important things to patients."

Those important factors include the risk of death, major bleeding or kidney complications associated with a procedure, as well as whether patients are prescribed the appropriate medications.

Riverside Methodist and OhioHealth Marion General Hospital are among just 11 hospitals statewide to achieve this four-star designation, placing OhioHealth at the forefront of cardiac care in Ohio. Across the seven OhioHealth hospitals included in the latest ACC data, every location earned three or four stars. Together, they scored 87.97, topping the statewide average of 86.15.

The Quality-of-Care Composite measures a range of clinical outcomes and processes tied to interventional cardiology, giving patients and providers a trusted benchmark for evaluating cardiac care quality nationwide. Achieving a top rating while also maintaining high patient volume underscores OhioHealth's ability to deliver both accessible and exceptional heart care to the communities it serves.

"This is really a global team effort," Dr. Arshi said. "The care that we provide doesn't just begin with us in the Cath Lab taking care of a patient with a heart attack; it really starts with early recognition. The first responders, EMS, are right there on the scene. They recognized and make the diagnosis, and we work in a great partnership with multiple EMS teams. We review cases together; we have education seminars together, so we really work as a partnership."

Emergency department teams across the system are also on the front lines, providing excellent care before patients transition to other hospital care teams that support them throughout their recovery.

"It's kind of a linear progression of their care, and it has to be done as a partnership," Dr. Arshi said.

For patients across central Ohio, this milestone means added confidence that when timely, high-quality cardiac intervention is needed, OhioHealth teams are prepared to deliver care that meets the highest national standards. As heart disease remains a leading health concern across the state, this achievement reinforces the organization's commitment to keeping expert, compassionate cardiac care close to home.

"This specific recognition is important for those who have symptomatic heart disease. We focus so much on preventative care. We really emphasize taking care of risk factors: managing your blood pressure, your blood sugar, cholesterol, not smoking, developing good healthy habits. But even with the best preventative care, patients still suffer from heart disease. It's such a common medical problem," Dr. Arshi said.

He said patients can take comfort in knowing they will receive high-quality, efficient care close to home as OhioHealth continues investing in its cardiovascular services and experts to meet the needs of patients across the state.