The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority's Cardiac Care Centre at St. Boniface Hospital is one of the best in the country. 

That's according to a report by the Canadian Institute for Health Information. 

The report reviews mortality and readmission rates following a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), corony artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) and aortic valve replacement (AVR). It says WRHA mortality and readmission rates were better than the national average for CABG and AVR. 

"Today's CIHI report reinforces the quality of care Manitobans receive, and will continue to receive at St. Boniface Hospital," Minister of Health, Seniors and Active Living Kelvin Goertzen said in a statement on Tuesday. "Manitobans should be proud of the success of the cardiac program and its ever-improving rates as they demonstrate both high-quality patient care and a patient-centred experience for patients." 

The WRHA's medical director of the Cardiac Sciences Program, Dr. Ross Feldman says it's been a team effort. 

"Our cardiologists, cardiovascular surgeons, anesthesiologist, nurses and diagnostic people are great," Feldman said. "It measures how good the hundreds of people involved in the care of people who have those procedures and how good the processes are that have been implemented." 

"It shows we're getting those patients here to St. Boniface Hospital and treating them right and getting them to the right place for the right procedure at the right time, getting a good result and then getting them home." 

Feldman says the staff at St. Boniface Hospital should feel good about this report but he acknowledges that it's an ongoing effort and they should always strive to be better. 

"This isn't static," Feldman said. "This represents ongoing investments in terms of ongoing heart care in Manitoba and the need for that investment doesn't go away." 

"We need to recruit the best people who make the system and we have to continue to broaden the circle of care," he continued. "We're always working on better systems." 

More information about the report can be found online: 

https://www.cihi.ca/sites/default/files/document/cardiac-care-quality-indicators-report-en-web.pdf