PINEHURST, N.C. – FirstHealth of the Carolinas has once again earned a distinguished three-star rating from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) for its patient care and outcomes in isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) procedures. The rating represents the highest category of quality and places FirstHealth’s Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery program among the elite for heart bypass surgery in the United States and Canada. Peter Ellman, M.D., FACS, senior cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon at