CARBONDALE - Officials at Memorial Hospital of Carbondale got a present in advance of the holidays this week when the facility was named one of the nation's top 100 hospitals for cardiovascular care.

The designation comes from Thomson Reuters, a national health care technology firm.

Rick Hargis, who directs Memorial's cardiovascular services, which come through the Prairie Heart Institute, said Tuesday the recognition is a source of pride for him and the cardiovascular physicians.

"It's a huge, huge honor,' he said. "I can go back to my staff and say thank you."

Hargis credited programs like the hospital's Stat Heart Program, which helps get heart attack patients to care as soon as possible, for helping the hospital achieve the ranking.

That program, Hargis said, beats the nationally recommended timeframe of getting a patient into care in less than 120 minutes about 85 percent of the time.

A release from Southern Illinois Healthcare, which owns Memorial, said the Thomson Reuters study examined the performance of 970 hospitals "by analyzing clinical outcomes for patients diagnosed with heart failure and heart attacks and for those who received coronary bypass surgery and angioplasties."

The designation as a top 100 hospital is another accomplishment the hospital can use to raise its profile and attract talented physicians, Hargis said.

It might also help attract more patients.

"A lot of folks are still getting into their car and going to St. Louis for care," he said. "The award should underscore that there is no reason to leave town for their heart health."

Physician Varadendra Panchamukhi said the award shows Memorial is "on par with the best hospitals in the country in terms of providing cardiovascular care" and will help to continue to build the facility's reputation.

"This means a lot to us and a lot to our patients," he said.

Panchamukhi added that, in his seven years at the hospital he's witnessed the level of care continue to expand.

According to Hargis, physicians at Memorial's cath lab now perform about 4,000 procedures a year, including 1,000 angioplasties and 200 to 250 open-heart surgeries.

blackwell.thomas@thesouthern.com

351-5823