HERSHEY, Pa. — When Josh and Lisa Teach learned that their daughter would be born with a congenital heart defect, they knew Penn State Children's Heart Group would be the ones to repair it.
As employees of Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, they knew Penn State Children’s Hospital had not only a great reputation, but the outcomes to back it up. The pediatric heart program in Hershey has been consistently ranked among the top in the nation — especially for congenital heart surgery.
A new report released this week by the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council (PHC4) — an independent group that evaluates health care services for clinical outcomes and value for patients — showed the pediatric heart results at the Children’s Hospital to be among the very best in Pennsylvania. The Penn State program performed particularly well in the care of neonates requiring heart surgery.
Additionally, the Children’s Hospital is one of just eight “top hospitals for congenital heart disease” as reported in the May 2017 issue of Consumer Reports. Using data from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS), the magazine rated 50 hospitals which have voluntarily shared their results for online public reporting. Penn State Children’s Hospital is the only program in the northeast region that achieved better than expected overall congenital heart surgery performance. The STS compares outcomes in the surgical treatment of pediatric and congenital heart disease, and awarded its highest, three-star rating, to the Children’s Hospital for significantly better overall survival.
Josh Teach said many local residents are probably aware that Penn State Health is the best place in the region to get specialty care, but they may not really know the extent of expert care available close to home until they are in need of it.
"I cannot imagine the additional hours that would have been spent traveling to Philly or Baltimore over the past seven years had we not lived near here,” he said.
“Hershey is located rather centrally to the state, meaning that it's accessible to anyone in PA,” agreed Meghan Coleman, who had her first surgery for congenital heart disease at just 3-months-old. “That means a lot, as a patient, because I have quality healthcare and a top-ranked facility just an hour's drive away.” Now 23, Coleman says something else very special differentiates the pediatric cardiology program at Penn State Children’s Hospital.
“All doctors care about their patients, but not every doctor goes above and beyond to ensure the best experience. That, in my opinion, sets Hershey apart.”
It’s a sentiment echoed by many of the pediatric cardiology program’s alums and their parents. There’s something about the providers and what they do that cannot be captured in reports and rankings, no matter how glowing.
“What makes providers like Dr. Jack Myers, Dr. Steve Cyran, and Dr. Brian Clark exceptional is their empathy and care for children — not only are they exceptionally skilled physicians, but they also understand remarkably well the human side of their field and the experiences that can be so difficult for families to work through, said Teach. "Having interacted with physicians and specialists from other institutions, I can definitely say that the care and compassion of the Children’s Heart Group is absolutely unmatched.”
Pete Shero said his 17-year-old daughter Katy is living proof of the heart specialists’ skill and dedication to their work. One particular appointment with pediatric cardiologist, Dr. Howard Weber left quite an impression on him.
“My daughter was getting older and became concerned about the appearance of her scar. Dr. Weber was so sympathetic and caring about addressing this with her. I was moved by his compassion.”
Connie Cropper didn’t have time to research where to take her son Nicholas when he became critically ill and was flown to Hershey. Although the Lancaster County woman had believed for some time that something was wrong with her child, her local doctors could not find the answer.
"Our whole world changed when we arrived," she said. The frustration and mistrust of medical personnel that had accumulated up to that point suddenly disappeared. Because of the positive experience she had at the Children’s Hospital, she opted to keep her son’s care in Hershey even though her family was from the Philadelphia area.
"When you learn about the surgeons here and their backgrounds, you realize the care here is the best you can get,” she said.
And when people ask Heather Shaubach of Lancaster County about Children's Heart Group, she tells them what she has learned from the way they cared for her daughter, Julia: "It's the best place you never want your child to go. Nobody wants their child to be in a hospital, but if you have to, it's the best place to be. You are in good hands."