Published on February 03, 2025

Silver Cross Heart Surgery Program Earns Prestigious Three-Star Rating from Society of Thoracic Surgeons 

CVU Team celebration

Staff from the Silver Cross Cardiovascular Unit and other departments celebrate the hospital’s Three-Star Rating for heart surgery from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Feb 3.  

Silver Cross Hospital has earned a distinguished three-star rating from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) for its patient care and outcomes in isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) procedures. The three-star rating, which denotes the highest category of quality, places Silver Cross among the most elite for open heart surgery in the United States and Canada. The hospital’s heart surgery program launched in May 2019. 

“This is the second major award our heart surgery program has earned since October, when Healthgrades ranked Silver Cross #2 for Cardiac Surgery in Illinois, right in between two of Chicago’s leading academic medical centers,” said Michael Mutterer, RN, MA, LCPC, CADC, LNHA, Silver Cross President and CEO. “The credit for these extraordinary accomplishments goes to cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Pat Pappas and his associates at Cardiothoracic & Vascular Surgical Associates, our Cardiovascular Unit, Cardiovascular Operating Room team, Procedural Care Unit and all those who support heart surgery at Silver Cross.” 

The STS star rating system is one of the most sophisticated and highly regarded overall measures of quality in healthcare, rating the benchmarked outcomes of cardiothoracic surgery programs across the United States and Canada. The star rating is calculated using a combination of quality measures for specific procedures performed by an STS Adult Cardiac Surgery Database participant. 

“The Society of Thoracic Surgeons congratulates STS National Database participants who have received three-star ratings,” said David M. Shahian, MD, chair of the Task Force on Quality Measurement. “Only a very small percentage of participants nationally achieve this important recognition.”

About Silver Cross Hospital’s Heart Surgery Program

One of the busiest heart surgery programs in the state of Illinois, Silver Cross performs nearly 300 surgical cases each year and is part of the Midwest Institute for Heart at Silver Cross. 

The institute brings together experts from multiple specialties to deliver advanced heart care across the continuum. These include preventive and screening services, cardiology, interventional cardiology, electrophysiology, advanced heart failure services, minimally invasive heart procedures such as transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), open heart surgery, aneurysm repair, cardiac rehabilitation and more. 

“If you’re in search of top-rated, nationally recognized heart care, you don’t have to travel far,” Mutterer added. “It’s right here at Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox.” 

To recognize staff for their contributions to the hospital’s STS three-star rating, Silver Cross hosted a celebration in the hospital’s Cardiovascular Unit Feb. 3, during American Heart Month. 

For more information, visit www.silvercross.org/heart 

About STS

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons is a not-for-profit organization representing more than 7,700 cardiothoracic surgeons, researchers and allied healthcare professionals worldwide who are dedicated to ensuring the best possible outcomes for surgeries of the heart, lung and esophagus, as well as other surgical procedures within the chest. The Society’s mission is to enhance the ability of cardiothoracic surgeons to provide the highest quality patient care through education, research and advocacy.

If you’re a member of the media and need information about Silver Cross Hospital, please contact Debra Robbins, Director of Marketing & Communications, at 815-300-7562 or drobbins@silvercross.org

Parking Lot P, located on Silver Cross Boulevard, is our designated space for media and TV crews.

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Physicians on Silver Cross Hospital’s Medical Staff have expertise in their areas of practice to meet the needs of patients seeking their care. These physicians are independent practitioners on the Medical Staff and are not the agents or employees of Silver Cross Hospital. They treat patients based upon their independent medical judgment and they bill patients separately for their services.