By: Jeffrey Maser  Apr. 06, 2018
A Dexur study of Medicare inpatient coronary bypass data indicates that Dr. David A. Brown of OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital accounted for the lowest average length of stay (LOS) among all Ohio physicians at 4.7 days between 2013-2016. This was more than a day and a half lower than both the national and state averages of 6.49 and 6.46 days, respectively. Dr. Syed Zaman of Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton ranked 2nd at 5.2 days, while Dr. Fayyaz Haider Hashmi ranked 3rd at 5.3 days. These were the only three physicians in the state to report an average LOS under 6 days during the timeframe. Dr. Steven B. Duff of OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus ranked 4th at 6.1 days and Dr. Farzin Fotouhi of St. Rita's Medical Center in Lima rounded out the top five at 6.2 days.
Physicians from Ohio were included in the rankings if they accounted for at least 11 DRG-236 (Coronary Bypass Without Cardiac Catheterization Without Major Complication or Comorbidity) discharges as the operating physician between January 2013 - December 2016; 16 physicians met this criteria. All physicians, regardless of discharge volume, were included in the national and state LOS averages. DRG-236 was selected for analysis as it is the highest volume diagnosis related group within coronary bypass. Nationally, Medicare enrollees combined for 80,121 discharges at the DRG level during the analyzed time frame, including 2,568 discharges from Ohio enrollees.
Along with accounting for the lowest DRG-236 average LOS among the analyzed physicians, Dr. Brown also reported the highest DRG-236 discharge volume with 100 discharges. Dr. Duff ranked very closely behind with 98 discharges while Dr. Joseph Sabik of Cleveland Clinic ranked 3rd with 84 discharges. Furthermore, Dr. Brown was the highest volume physician for total coronary bypass discharge volume (includes 6 DRGs) with 228 discharges. Dr. Aqeel Sandhu, of Aultman Hospital in Canton, ranked just behind Dr. Brown with 226 discharges. No other Ohio performed more than 200 total coronary bypass procedures during the four year period.