Commentary: Time to Move Beyond the Operating Room

Discharge to skilled nursing facilities is increasingly common after coronary artery bypass grafting. However, patient outcomes are influenced by the quality of care delivered in such facilities. Skilled Nursing Facility Quality Rating and Surgical Outcomes Following Coronary Artery Bypass GraftingSeminars in Thoracic and Cardiovascular SurgeryPreviewCenters for Medicare and Medicaid Services created a 5-star quality rating system to evaluate skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). Patient discharge to lower-star quality SNFs has been shown to adversely impact surgical outcomes. Recent data has shown that over 20% of patients are discharged to an SNF after CABG, but the link between SNF quality and CABG outcomes has not been established. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of SNF quality ratings on postoperative outcomes after CABG. Full-Text PDF