SACRAMENTO, Calif -The first report on outcomes associated with coronary bypass surgery is flawed and should have been corrected prior to public release, according to one of the area's most well-respected medical groups representing cardiovascular surgeons.
 
"The Sacramento Cardiovascular Medical Group (SCVS) has a long reputation of success in treating Sacramento area patients, particularly among many of the higher risk cases that are regularly referred to our highly trained and experienced surgeons," said James Longoria, MD of SCVS. "We are very distressed that flawed data regarding the risk level of our patients was not corrected prior to the release of the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development's (OSHPD) Report on Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery in California."
 
"Dr. Robert Kincade is a highly skilled and experienced surgeon," said Longoria, "yet he is listed in the "worse" category because of a simple reporting error that the State refused to correct. The errors resulted in all of the group's physicians risk adjusted mortality rates being reported as higher than actual."
 
The data in question was submitted to OSHPD by Sutter Memorial Hospital, whose CEO Thomas Gagen noted in a July 27, 2006, letter that the report included "significant errors." Indeed, Sutter's own audit of the data submitted to OSHPD revealed that erroneous data was reported in 65 percent of Dr. Kincade's cases between 2003 and 2004. In addition, SCVS leadership attempted on several occasions to provide the State with accurate information about the flawed data, as well as providing corrected data to complete the report. Still, OSHPD chose to include the flawed data in the released report.
 
OSHPD's inexplicable actions have not only potentially harmed the reputation of an excellent heart surgeon; they serve as a disincentive for California surgeons to treat high risk patients who need their care. SCVS is calling upon OSHPD Director Dr. David Carlisle OSPHD to immediately correct the flaw in this report and restore the good reputation of Dr. Kincade.
 
Sacramento Cardiovascular Medical Group (SCVS) surgeons are recognized for 50 years of success in performing landmark surgical procedures and have been consistently recognized as outstanding by prominent state and national review agencies charged with quality control.