Athens, Ga. (February 12, 2025) – Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center has once again been identified as one of the nation’s 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals^® according to an independent quality analysis based on a balanced scorecard provided by Premier, Inc. (NASDAQ: PINC).

To create the list, an objective, quantitative analysis of publicly available data was conducted to identify the top cardiovascular hospitals in the United States. The primary purpose of Premier’s 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals program is to inspire hospital and health system leaders to pursue higher performance and deliver added value to patients and communities. Organizations do not apply to participate in the study, and award winners do not pay to market their honor.

"I am very excited that Piedmont Athens has been named one of Premier's Top 50 Cardiac Hospitals again this year,” said Piedmont Athens CEO Michael Burnett. “This recognition really shows how dedicated our cardiac team is to providing top-notch care. We're committed to keeping up the great work and continuing to serve our community with the best heart care possible."

Performance of Facilities on Premier’s 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals Program List
Compared to peer hospitals, those in the 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals operated at lower cost and had better outcomes, recording significantly higher inpatient survival rates, fewer patients with complications, lower readmission rates and up to nearly $7,000 less in total costs per patient case. Additionally, these hospitals reported:

• 25 percent fewer acute myocardial infarction (AMI) deaths and 66 percent fewer coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) deaths.
• 30 percent fewer percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) and 19 percent fewer CABG patients with complications.
• Higher 30-day survival rates for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), heart failure (HF) and CABG patients (0.4 to 1.2 percentage points higher).
• Lower 30-day readmission rates for AMI, HF and CABG patients (0.2 to 0.5 percentage points lower).
• Shorter average lengths of stay between patient groups – 0.5 for AMI, 0.4 for HF, 0.3 for PCI and one full day for CABG.
• $1,386 to $6,974 less in total costs per patient case (the smallest dollar-amount difference was for HF and the largest was for CABG).
• A better patient experience at top performing hospitals compared to the remaining peer hospitals, with a top-box Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) score of 72 percent versus 68 percent.

These outcomes add up to meaningful differences. According to the study’s analysis, if all hospitals operated at the level of this year’s top performers, there could be 14,000 fewer deaths due to heart disease, 28,600 fewer bypass and angioplasty patients who suffer complications, and more than $1.5 billion in inpatient costs saved for the 2025 study year. 

“Heart disease is America’s leading cause of death, affecting roughly 127.9 million Americans and costing about $252 billion,” said David Zito, Premier’s President, Performance Services.  “As hospitals and health systems strive for continuous improvement in cardiovascular care, data-driven insights and transformational strategies are vital for ensuring patient-centric care aligned with optimized financial and operational performance. Premier’s 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals program helps hospitals evaluate national cardiovascular disease trends and develop strategies to deliver targeted, evidence-based care.”