SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- A local hospital is being recognized for its success with heart procedures.
St. Joseph’s Hospital was the health center with the lowest mortality rates in New York State for heart valve operations from 2011 through 2013.
Its Cardiac Surgery Program was also one of only three in the state to score significantly better than others for multiple procedures.
Medical officials say their successes begins and ends with understanding the patients themselves.
"To stand in the shoes of the patient from the second they hit the door until they walk out and understand from their perspective how they transition from a person with a cardiovascular illness through an operative intervention into discharge home," said Gary Randall Green, St. Joseph's cardiac surgery program director.
A U.S. News and World Report also ranked St. Joseph's the 13th best regional hospital in New York State.