This distinction recognizes top performance based on a balanced scorecard of publicly available clinical and operational metrics and data. The 2019 study included 989 U.S. hospitals with cardiovascular service lines. San Antonio was compared to a peer group of 423 non-teaching community hospitals and was one of only 20 community hospitals nationwide and one of only two community hospitals in California to make the list. According to the IBM Watson Health study, the 50 hospitals honored by this award demonstrated:

• Significantly higher inpatient survival rates
• Fewer patient complications
• Higher 30-day survival for AMI (acute myocardial infarction) and CABG (coronary artery bypass graft)
• Fewer readmissions for AMI, CABG, and heart failure
• Lower average length of stay
• Reduced total cost per patient case