Excellence in care

Park Nicollet Heart and Vascular Center is nationally recognized for innovation and top-notch cardiovascular care. 

Award-winning heart attack care

Our comprehensive approach to heart attack care has earned numerous local and national honors, including an American Medical Group Association Acclaim Award, for national excellence in improving health care quality.

Methodist Hospital was one of the first hospitals in the Twin Cities to initiate a heart attack program characterized by primary angioplasty and stent placement. This program has reduced the time it takes to treat a heart attack to 62 minutes, 30 percent faster than hospitals of similar size. As a result, Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital boasts some of the highest survival rates in the country. More information

Quality and value awards

HealthGrades

We received two HealthGrades® Specialty Excellence Awards™ for 2009, which places us in the top 10 percent of hospitals in the country for treating heart disease. We received the Cardiac Care Excellence Award™ for overall heart care and the Coronary Interventional Excellence Award™ for our angioplasty and stenting performance.

100 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals

We were named one of the 100 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals in America for 2008 by Thomson Reuters. This is the fourth year in a row we have received this overall heart quality award.

The Leapfrog Group

Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital was named one of the 13 “highest value” hospitals in America for 2008 by The Leapfrog Group. The award is based on the quality of our services and cost-effectiveness of our care. Three of the four services that were measured for this award were heart related. 

Society of Thoracic Surgeons

We were rated in the top 13 percent of cardiac surgery programs in America for 2007 (most current rating) by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons. This is the highest quality award given by this organization.

Nationally certified services

• Our echocardiography laboratory was one of the first triple-accredited laboratories in Minnesota by Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Echocardiography Laboratories (ICAEL). ICAEL recognizes laboratories that meet rigorous national standards for quality, trained personnel and measured outcomes.
• Our cardiac rehabilitation program has been nationally accredited by the American Association of Cardiovascular Rehabilitation_®. The certification recognizes the high standards in exercise, education and counseling offered by our cardiac rehabilitation professionals.
• Vascular laboratory is one of only two Minnesota laboratories accredited in four or more services by the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Vascular Laboratories (ICAVL). ICAVL recognizes laboratories that meet rigorous national standards for quality, trained personnel and measured outcomes.

Leading in technology

Park Nicollet has been a leader in using the latest technology to improve patient care. We were the first in Minnesota to use all-digital angiography and echocardiography systems in 2001.

Today, Park Nicollet Heart and Vascular Center offers some of the latest technology in the world, including:

• Minnesota’s first combined nuclear/CT imaging system for consistently clearer nuclear stress images 
• one of the first 64-slice cardiac CT scanners in the country, producing detailed pictures of the heart from outside the body
• sophisticated cardiac MRI for viewing arteries

Electronic medical records

Along with being a leader in technology of the heart, Park Nicollet is a national leader in using electronic medical records to help our heart and vascular doctors instantly locate the details of a patient’s health history. This can save critical minutes in the event of a heart attack. No matter where patients are seen in Park Nicollet – at any of our clinics, six urgent care locations or Methodist Hospital – our doctors have immediate access to their records.

Patients can access their medical records from home, using Patient Online_®. Patient Online is a secure Web service that lets patients view parts of their medical record and communicate with their doctors from their own computer. Learn more

Heart and Vascular Center record of leadership

2009

• HealthGrades’ Cardiac Care and Coronary Intervention Excellence awards

2008

• Named a 100 Top Cardiovascular Hospital by Thomson Reuters (formerly Solucient)
• Recognized as one of the 13 “highest value” hospitals in America by The Leapfrog Group

2007

• Ranked in the top 13 percent for cardiac surgery by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons
• Blue Cross and Blue Shield national Blue Distinction Center for Cardiac Care_SM
• One of nation’s 100 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals from Solucient, a respected provider of health information
• Park Nicollet Heart and Vascular Center and Methodist Hospital perform in the top 10 percent of hospitals nationwide for treating heart attacks, heart disease and open heart surgeries, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

2006

• One of nation’s 100 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals from Solucient, a respected provider of health information
• Health Front Gold Award for excellence in comprehensive disease management

2005

• One of nation’s 100 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals from Solucient, a respected provider of health information

• Premier “Q Award” for excellence in heart attack care
• Health Front Gold Award for excellence in quality
• Health Front Award for Innovation in health care quality
• Health Partners Outcomes Recognition Award for excellence in coronary artery disease
• Health Partners Outcomes Recognition Award of excellence in cardiology patient satisfaction

2004

• Health Front “Gold Award” for comprehensive disease management, including around coronary artery disease

2003

• Premier “Q Award” for excellence in heart attack care

2002

• American Medical Group Acclaim Award for excellence in heart attack care

2001

• One of nation’s 100 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals from Solucient, a respected provider of health information
• HealthFront “Special Recognition Award” for improving management of coronary artery disease