NorthStarr Cardiothoracic Surgery became the exclusive provider of cardiac and thoracic surgery
services at Providence Alaska Medical Center (PAMC) in September, 2018. Since that transition, the
surgeons and physician assistants at NorthStarr Cardiothoracic Surgery have completely
transformed the cardiothoracic surgery (CTS) program at Providence Alaska Medical Center (PAMC),
placing it in the top 3% of cardiac surgery programs in the country for quality and safety. In 2023, the
CTS program at PAMC received “3-Star” ratings from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons in three separate
and distinct operative categories.
The Society’s database is the world’s premier clinical outcomes registry for cardiac surgery, representing
more than 95% of the groups that perform cardiac surgery in the United States. The “3-Star” rating is
the highest category of quality and represents outcomes results that are significantly above-average.
For adult cardiac surgery, there are five possible categories in which programs can receive a star rating.
PAMC was eligible in four of the five categories, earning the coveted “3-Star” ratings for its exceptional
performance in coronary artery bypass grafting, combined aortic valve replacement and coronary artery
bypass grafting, and mitral valve replacement/repair.
For PAMC to receive three stars in any one category would be an above average achievement. To
receive three stars in three categories is exceptional. Only 29 programs in the country received three or
more “3-Star” ratings in 2023, placing the PAMC cardiac surgery program in the top 3% of all (~1,100)
cardiac surgery programs in the nation.
