@article{830914c8d8764580b2070bd4964bb38c,
title = "Validity of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons National Adult Cardiac Surgery Database",
keywords = "4, CABG, Coronary artery bypass grafting, IASTS, IFMC, Iowa Foundation for Medical Care, Iowa Society of Thoracic Surgeons, MEDPAR, Medicare Provider and Analysis Review, NCD, National Adult Cardiac Surgery Database, STS, The Society of Thoracic Surgeons",
author = "Welke, {Karl F.} and Ferguson, {T. Bruce} and Coombs, {Laura P.} and Dokholyan, {Rachel S.} and Murray, {Cindy J.} and Schrader, {Mary A.} and Peterson, {Eric D.}",
note = "Funding Information: The STS data quality is also assisted by many regional collaborative quality improvement efforts. One such example is the collaboration between the Iowa Society of Thoracic Surgeons (IASTS), and the Iowa Foundation for Medical Care (IFMC). The IASTS is a voluntary, not-for-profit organization whose purpose is to bring together the thoracic surgeons of Iowa to engage in activities of mutual benefit including continuous quality improvement activities aimed at improving outcomes for patients who have had cardiac surgery. Currently, all sites performing cardiothoracic surgery in Iowa submit data to the Society of Thoracic Surgeons NCD. The IFMC is a private, nonprofit organization composed of health care professionals and is the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Quality Improvement Organization for Iowa. In March 2000, the IASTS and the IFMC entered into an agreement to work together in support of the Society's quality improvement goals and as part of an Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality sponsored continuous quality improvement grant to the STS. ",
year = "2004",
month = apr,
doi = "10.1016/j.athoracsur.2003.07.030",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "77",
pages = "1137--1139",
journal = "Annals of Thoracic Surgery",
issn = "0003-4975",
publisher = "Elsevier USA",
number = "4",
}