Letter from the 2020/2021 Chairman of the Board: Thomas Matthew, MD
Letter from the Chairman of the Board
Dear Colleagues,
Now in our seventh year, the MCSQI continues to advance the quality of cardiac surgery in the state of Maryland despite the onset of COVID-19 in the Winter of 2020 with its imposed limitations. Engagement among our members continued to improve through virtual collaboration and commitment to fulfill our mission to continuously improve the clinical quality of cardiac surgery in the state of Maryland through data analysis, research, and education. I want to personally thank those who have actively participated in our quality improvement initiatives, especially under the challenging times during the past year.
We welcomed a new hospital member in 2020, Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis, Maryland, which is now the eleventh cardiac surgery program in the state. Anne Arundel Medical Center began doing cardiac surgery in December of 2020 under the leadership of Daniel Lee, MD.
A few highlights of 2020 that are further expanded upon in this report include:
- A demonstration of the significant impact of COVID–19 on cardiac surgery volumes nationally and in the state of Maryland. Cardiac surgery volumes in Maryland decreased by 16% in 2020 compared with 2019, primarily due to the impact of COVID-19. This was demonstrated by a 26% decrease in the 1st and 2nd mean quarterly volumes compared with the quarterly average for 2019.
- A formal agreement was established between the Maryland Healthcare Commission, the Health Services Cost Review Commission (HSCRC), and the MCSQI to obtain an expanded HSCRC dataset to link financial administrative data with the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) clinical outcomes data. In this way we can continue to improve the cost-effective delivery of quality cardiac surgery care.
- The MCSQI continued its commitment to the advancement of 2020 Key Quality Initiatives.
- Readmission Reduction
- Understanding Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation Variability
- Cost Analysis and Improving Value
- Blood Management Improvement
- Re-engagement and focus on Perfusion services
This past year significant progress was made in the area of Blood Management under the leadership of Rawn Salenger, MD, past MCSQI Chairman of the Board. Critical communication and clinical elements were identified that can be adopted as best practice by a “heart team” to maximize blood conservation. This report highlights progress made with this initiative and others through collaboration among key stakeholders and commitment to our mission.
I encourage you to share this report with your team and hope you benefit from the information provided.
Sincerely,
Thomas Matthew, MD, MS, FACS, FACC
Chairman, MCSQI