By Mike Kruzman /news@whmi.com


The president of a local hospital is speaking out on a sister facility being named one of the nation’s best for heart patients.

St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor is being recognized as one of the 50 best cardiovascular hospitals in America by Fortune and IBM Watson Health. This annual list spotlights the leading short-term, acute care non-federal U.S. hospitals that treat a wide range of cardiology patients.

Alonzo Lewis, who is president of St. Joe’s Ann Arbor as well as St. Joseph Mercy Livingston in Howell, said that he is very proud to receive recognition for the cardiovascular program, not only from national studies, but from the communities and people they serve every day. Lewis said that “when it comes to matters of heart, patients throughout the state are choosing St. Joe’s."

Over 950 hospitals with cardiovascular service lines were included in the study. The study concludes that if all U.S. hospitals cardiovascular service lines performed at the level of study winners like St. Joe’s, an additional 6,400 lives could be saved annually.

This is the third year in a row and the 12th time overall that St. Joe’s Ann Arbor has been recognized with this honor, which began in 1993.