Northside earns top national rating for lung cancer surgery

Northside Hospital Cancer Institute has earned a “Better than Expected” rating — the highest possible quality designation — from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) for its outstanding patient care and lung cancer surgical outcomes.

Why it matters: The rating places Northside among the top thoracic surgery programs in the United States and Canada, reflecting exceptional performance in key areas, including mortality, complications and overall patient outcomes following lung cancer surgeries.

“This recognition is the culmination of our longstanding commitment to patient care,” said Dr. John W. Gouldman of Northside Thoracic Surgery. “It’s made possible by the dedication of our nurses, therapists, physicians and hospital leadership.”

The big picture: The STS rating, formerly known as the “three-star” rating, is derived from data in the General Thoracic Surgery Database (GTSD). It benchmarks outcomes such as mortality and complications for lobectomy procedures — the most common surgery for early-stage lung cancer.

The STS GTSD is the largest thoracic surgical database in North America, with data from over 1,000 physicians and more than 616,000 procedure records. Only a small percentage of participants earn the top-tier rating.

What they’re saying: “Participation in the Database and public reporting demonstrates a commitment to quality improvement in health care delivery,” said Dr. David M. Shahian, chair of the STS Task Force on Quality Measurement.

Northside’s top ranking adds to its reputation as a regional leader in cancer care and highlights the success of its multidisciplinary thoracic surgery program.

Learn more about lung cancer care at Northside Hospital Cancer Institute.

Learn more about the Society of Thoracic Surgeons.

 Posted by CHA