UCHealth Memorial Hospital stent surgeries receive praise

Feb. 17, 2020

Patients are spending less time at UCHealth Memorial Hospital and are more likely to remain healthy and avoid hospital readmission following surgeries to install stents to restore the flow of blood or other fluids.

Using 2016-2018 Medicare data, health care analytics firm Dexur put UCHealth Memorial Hospital Central among the best in the nation for length of stay, readmissions and shortest intensive care unit stays. In addition, CMS data has shown Memorial’s readmission rates for pneumonia are among the nation’s best.

Photo of Dr. Jose Melendez
Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jose Melendez

“This data reflects the high quality of care delivered by providers and staff,” Dr. Jose Melendez, chief medical officer, said. “By keeping patient stays as short as possible, we are reducing overall health care costs as well as getting patients to the place where they often recover best – their homes.”

A stent is a tiny tube that a surgeon inserts into a blocked passageway to keep it open. The stent restores the flow of blood or other fluids, depending on where it’s placed. In emergencies, stents are used to keep coronary arteries open. In addition to blood vessels and arteries, stints are used in bile ducts, lungs, and in ureters that carry urine from kidneys to the bladder.

Dexur ranked Memorial Hospital Central in the top 100 in the U.S. for shortest length of stay and shortest stay in the intensive care unit and in the top 50 for lowest readmissions. Other UCHealth hospitals included in the top rankings include UCHealth Poudre Valley Hospital and UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies. See the analysis.

Recently, two local media members shared their experiences in receiving stints at Memorial Hospital. See their stories:

Why I run: My journey back to Colorado Springs trails after a heart attack

Heart Attack: Sports Director Rob Namnoum tells his story of survival

About the author

Tom Hutton is a veteran communications professional who enjoys making complex subjects relatable to people from all walks of life. Prior to joining UCHealth in 2019, he taught and led public communications at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. Previously, he led communications at the University of Kansas and was a reporter and manager for newspapers in Kansas, Iowa and California. In these roles, he earned recognition from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, the University of Colorado and various press associations.

Tom earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from KU and a master’s degree in public administration from CU. He enjoys college sports, vintage cars, cooking Kansas City-style barbeques, skiing and hiking.

He and his wife Julie have two daughters and a son.