Aspirus Wausau Hospital was named one of the nation’s 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals for 2019 by IBM Watson Health.

IBM Watson Health recently released the latest 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals study, which identifies the top U.S. hospitals for inpatient cardiovascular services. The study uses a balanced national scorecard of hospital performance metrics to identify the highest performing cardiovascular service lines in the nation.

“Aspirus Wausau Hospital is very proud to be recognized once again as one of the top cardiovascular hospitals in the nation,” said Aspirus Wausau Hospital President Darrell Lentz.

“We have so many amazing medical professionals incorporated into our system that allows Aspirus to offer a complete integrated healthcare delivery service to the communities we serve.”

IBM Watson Health found that winners of the award delivered better care while operating more efficiently and at a lower cost.

“Cardiovascular disease is among the most widespread and costliest diseases in the U.S. with an annual price tag of roughly $317 billion,” said Ekta Punwani, 100 Top Hospitals® program leader at IBM Watson Health. “That’s why it is so critical that hospitals find new and innovative ways to deliver better care at a lower cost. The winning hospitals in our study have established the new benchmark for cardiac care performance by driving consistently better outcomes at a lower cost per case than non-winning hospitals.”

This is the twelfth time Aspirus Wausau Hospital made the list; it was the only hospital in north central Wisconsin to be recognized this year.

Aspirus Heart & Vascular is a Blue Cross Blue Shield Blue Distinction Center for heart care and is consistently ranked by national quality benchmarking organizations as a leader in clinical quality and patient safety.

The 2019 Watson Health 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals study is available at 100tophospitals.com. For more information, visit aspirus.org.